We Wish You a Merry Mail Sack

Goodwill towards mail...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Bungie. Our cavernous hideout, usually overrun by artists, coders, and designers, is slowly becoming a place of empty chairs and empty tables. Before our beloved partners in crime could flee the scene in favor of their respective family reunions, we gathered around the very last bundle of community interaction that will be seen this calendar year.

The past twelve months have been home to fascinating developments at Bungie. We are thankful. We’ve marched ever closer toward our fate. There is brilliant light at the end of the tunnel, dear community.

But that is a glorious conversation best saved for another time. For now, let’s look back instead of forward.

Let’s open the Sack.

Frag Ingot What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment from this year?

I made it through...Ben Thompson, Engineer

I wrote lots of cool things for Bungie.next. Maybe DeeJ will tell you more about that soon.Tom Gioconda, Engineer

I started building a spaceship in my garage, entirely out of spare lawnmower parts.Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Professionally, I built a new back end system that (if it works correctly) will make the online experience better for a significant portion of our playerbase, without them ever knowing it is there. Personally, I went on some awesome adventures with my wife this year and didn't get us both killed, or too horribly lost.Michael Williams, Engineer

Marriage!Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

Creating the next generation of the internal tools for Bungie.Next. They ain’t pretty, but they get the job done. Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

And, the following people on the Bungie Panel for this week counted their great fortune in landing a place on the roster of Team Bungie. This delegation represents only a fraction of the parade of noobs that stormed our front door to help us bring you a new game. Will Edgette, EngineerLeland Dantzler, TesterDoug Juno, ArtistDrew Smith, ProducerDavid Johnson, EngineerMike Shannon, Senior IT EngineerChris Owens, Test EngineerAndy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Hylebos How is the Pentathlon shaping up?

As someone who has been honored with an invitation to serve on the Exalted Winter Pentathlon Committee, I'm one of the few people who can tell you that it’s shaping up quite nicely. Our competitors have been partitioned into four warring schools, with Captains assigned to lead each. Events have been chosen, with lieutenants designated to lead each school’s respective charge, and commissioners in place to enforce the rules of battle. As the games draw near, we'll treat you to the usual front-row seat, though I suspect the game I'm most anxious to play this year will be zealously guarded from your eyes.

Elem3nt 117 What is your New Year's Resolution?

I resolve to be a little bit more open and transparent with you. If that has you excited, please note that my track record for keeping these annual promises is less than impressive. Let’s see if my co-developers are more or less disciplined. What do you have planned for yourselves in 2013, Bungie Panel?

Decimate the competition in the Pentathlon or die trying.
Drew Smith, Producer

Draw more.
Doug Juno, Artist

Finish building that spaceship in my garage! Or, give up the ridiculous idea already and waste my free time more wisely.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Write a book, plant a tree. I can already imagine blank pages and a bare yard.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Don’t get suckered into anymore of those crazy “End of the world” doomsday prophesies.
Ben Thompson, Engineer

Create more, consume less.
Michael Williams, Engineer

To finally fulfill my resolutions from the last 8 years.
Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer

I resolve to be better, stronger, faster.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

To not make any more New Year’s Resolutions.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Be less tempted by Bungie’s free snacks. Who am I kidding?
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Ninja Blue Wolf Does Marty do lessons?

You mean music lessons? No. Marty does teach us a lesson from time to time, but they are more in the vein of knowing when to hold ‘em – and when to fold ‘em. If you don’t get the reference, that’s an old song about Poker, written by a gambling purveyor of Fried Chicken.

WestCoastRonin If you could remake any Christmas movie and give it a sci-fi setting, which movie would you choose and what would it be like?

I’m pitching a starside reboot of A Christmas Story. My hero, Ralphie_9.6, is an astroclone incepted on an off-world colony who dreams of owning a Red Ryder x-ray cannon. As part of his coming of age, he learns to face off against the Academy’s most dreaded bully. Comic relief ensues when he tricks his best friend into sticking his tongue to the cooling towers of the main reactor. For the grand finale, a hoard of feral tusk-wolves make off with the sandtrout that was prepared for the solstice feast of the seventh moon.

The joy of editing this feature is the chance to hoard the best and most obvious answer for one’s self. However, in the event that Hollywood rejects my screenplay, here are some alternatives from the Bungie Panel…

If you ask me, Rocky 4 is begging for a sci-fi remake. It’s got it all: Good versus evil; hi-tech versus old-school; national pride versus personal determination. Everything is on the line, and it all comes to a head on Christmas Day. Simply set it in an interstellar society, with humans versus aliens and… Ba-da-bing ba-da-boom! Instant, updated holiday classic.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a cyborg sent back through time to Santa’s workshop (circa 1995) to protect Santa Claus. Sam the Snowborg is on a mission to kill him and alter the future so that Snowborgs rule over all mankind – and Christmas is permanently destroyed. To save the day, Santa and Rudolph must go to the Isle of Misfit Toys Asylum to rescue Mrs. Claus, who was arrested after encountering Rudolph in the prequel.
David Johnson, Engineer

It’s a Wonderful Star Trek Life. I know they kind of already did it in TNG. I guess I just want Star Trek for Christmas.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

As Life Day approaches on Tatooine, Emmet Otter and his Ma decide to compete in the Cantina's talent contest. Watch as they face corrupt Hutt judges, and challenge the Empire's most deadly musicians, "The Boba Fett Sarlacc Band". In the end they will learn the true meaning of Life Day, and the true power of the Force.
Michael Williams, Engineer

Mine is more based on a TV show than a movie. Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Doctor Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator - and vanished. He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that looked a lot like Santa, and driven by an unknown force to change Christmas for the better. His only guide on this journey is ELF, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so, Doctor Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to replace bad presents with amazing presents and hoping each time that his next leap… will be the leap home.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I have a visual of people opening their Christmas presents to find face hugger aliens inside.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

The first two Die Hard movies could be convincingly set on an inter-planetary colony and a spaceport, respectively. The plot of the second movie even becomes more much plausible in a spaceport.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

White Christmas. It’s the year 2196, and Lt. Commander Wallace is performing a holiday space symphony for our troops fighting against the mysterious arachnid alien species that has invaded our solar system. He finds himself caught in a web, and about to be eaten by said aliens, before Ensign Davis runs over in the nick of time and saves his life. Their friendship comes to a head years later when their old Fleet Admiral is discovered running a failed tourist vessel orbiting Jupiter. They decide to bring their interstellar cast and crew to revive his chances of success. The plot really doesn’t have to change much at all! I suppose one of their love interests could get vaporized by a stray phaser blast as they defend the tourist ship from space raiders.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Yeah, Alex. Because nothing gets people in the Christmas spirit faster than vaporizing love interests.

irishfreak Why won't you return my calls?

Mostly because, for the first time in the years (and years) since I left college and joined The Work Force, I don’t have a phone on my desk. That took some getting used to. I remember asking about this on my first day at Bungie. Urk answered my question with a question of his own. “Who would you call?” That stopped me in my tracks. Hello, Internet? It’s me, DeeJ.

EZcompany2ndsqd If Santa came down your chimney and you were awake what would you do?

I’d handcuff him to the gas starter, light a candle, and have a long chat about all those years I got ugly sweaters instead of the video games that had been released that season. Perhaps the Bungie Panel will be more forgiving than I…

See if he wanted to play some Farcry 3 coop.
Drew Smith, Producer

I would thank him for giving me a brand new fireplace.
David Johnson, Engineer

DarthCarrick If you could give the Community a present, what would it be?

An exciting new place to call home. Since such things cannot be wrapped, that gift will have to serve another occasion.

Xd00999 You can now un-cancel one television show. What do you choose?

When I do make it to my television, I’m more than likely using it to battle the Internet though the construct of my favorite game. Thus, I am transferring my vote to the Bungie Panel. Have at it, people. What do you wish was still on the idiot box?

I used to work in TV, so that’s like asking me to resurrect only one of my deceased friends. Too cruel. Instead, I’ll bring to life a baby that was never born: a pilot I wrote called “The War.” Imagine the grittiness of “The Wire,” set on the coke-frenzied Sunset Strip of the 1980s. It was an intense roller-coaster ride of sex & drugs & rock-n-roll… or at least it would have been, had it ever seen the light of day. Oh well…
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

I’m sure this is the first time someone mentioned this show, but Firefly.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Answers other than Firefly are wrong.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

Wonderfalls!
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Better Off Ted.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Carnivale on HBO.
Doug Juno, Artist

Arrested Development.
Drew Smith, Producer

Deadwood, so I can open a can of peaches.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

A Pimpin Lady Why will you not answer my question? I want to know where Bungie hires their non-gaming personnel. Last time I asked this question, you sent me to the job listings page on B.Net. In all my years here, I have never seen non-gaming related listings. I know you guys have to have accountants, HR, health educators, etc. Will you please tell me where the job listings for these people are found?

It’s almost as if our whole team is devoted to the singular cause of making a game. We do have a few people at Bungie who mind the shop while we make the toys. In all your years here, none of them have quit. They really like their jobs. We see to that, personally. If we end up needing more of them, the curious onlookers who pay attention to our Careers page will be the first to know.

Marcellos007 What was the funniest present you´ve got for Christmas?

My father and my sister succumbed to the allure of a home shopping offering on television. One toll-free conversation later, our entire family received the gift of decorative swords. Mine was so decorative, the blade folded under the weight of its own haft when I sank it into the soil of the back yard in a dramatic reenactment of the ending to my favorite Scottish revolution film. Care to recall your own comedic lumps of coal, Bungie Panel?

My dad used to rewrap the board game Balderdash every year and give it to a random member of the family. That was always funny. Plus, it’s a good game.
Drew Smith, Producer

Many years ago, a boss of mine gave me the menu for an adult-entertainment venue called The Chicken Ranch. I never visited the establishment, but I got a lot of laughs out of reading the names of their various “Dishes.”
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

One year, my friends thought it would be a good idea to all get me Hello Kitty themed gifts, including bubble bath that came packaged with warnings about urinary tract infections. Also included was a lantern that had a warning to “not look directly at.” So, all of the Hello Kitty gifts where deadly in one way or another. But really, isn’t anything to do with Hello Kitty?
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Our family has had a habit of wrapping gifts in bizarre ways. I've seen bizarre polyhedral shapes, boxes nested in boxes, and gifts wrapped in twine that has been spliced so there was no end to untie.
Michael Williams, Engineer

A 20 pound wheel of cheese (I used to be a much larger man who loved his cheese).
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

My dad gave me Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders. I was 8 and my mom was furious. Dad and I played the heck out of it, though.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Halo biggest fan For all the artists at Bungie: Do any of you frequently go to figure drawing sessions to stay sharp on your traditional drawing skills?

Is this really a question about art? Or, is it more a question about naked people in our studio?

CoRaMo Where is the strangest place you have ever played a video game?

Like so many of you, I was waiting anxiously on the sidelines while Halo: ODST was preparing to drop. Through some magic wielded by the Hand of Urk, I vaulted to the front of a very long line and was the first kid in my zip code to play Firefight in the belly of a military transport vehicle. Moral to the story: Always be nice to your Community Manager. Beat that, Bungie Panel!

The Experience Music Project in Seattle during the Halo 2 launch party. The science fiction museum had only recently gone into the building, and the whole experience was pretty surreal and awesome.
Michael Williams, Engineer

At the Podiatrist, while I was having an ingrown toenail removed. I needed a distraction.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

You mean like the backseat of a Volkswagen?
Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer

Backseat of a Volkswagen.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

I played Inception – The App while I was in Erfoud, Morocco just to unlock the Africa chapter. My wife rolled her eyes, but the camels didn’t seem to mind.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

On the set of a movie.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

In a van heading across the country to get to PAX – part of a caravan called the Cross Country Super Trip. We wired it up to a TV that was fixed into the ceiling, and played it on our two day long trek.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I played Pokemon Silver in an unmarked van, in Ireland, stuck at a sheep crossing while thousands of fluffy things crossed the road for more than 15 minutes (true story).
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Do iPhone games on the porcelain throne count?
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

To most of you, playing in an arcade is probably pretty strange. More people play video games on the toilet via their phones than play in arcades now.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

With gaming on cell phones, it doesn’t get much more strange than gaming in a public restroom. I’m... not the only one that does that, right?
David Johnson, Engineer

Some of you are sick. Suddenly, that line that forms outside the Bungie men’s room is much less a mystery. Pull your pants up and get back to work. You can launch birds out of slingshots on your own time.

coolmike699 Does Bungie do a secret Santa? Has anyone gotten anything really weird?

Our Secret Santas give presents to the people who need them the most. This year, our tree was decorated with dreams passed along to us from our friends at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We love making dreams come true at Bungie – the weirder the better.

Duardo What was the best gift ever given to you?

I have everything I want in life: a gaming console, a patient wife who lets me spend a lot of time with it, and a clan of willing killers to carry me to victory. Bungie Panel, can you do a better job of celebrating the spirit of giving?

Not to get all sappy, but a couple years back, my wife gave me a pretty non-traditional Christmas present: a pregnancy test that read positive. Now, a few years earlier I would’ve freaked out; but timing is everything, and instead I was super excited to know we were expecting a little gamer of our own.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

The generosity of my friends. I can be demanding and a bit eccentric/neurotic, but they are all super accommodating.
Drew Smith, Producer

My first thought was to say “my daughters.” Then, I realized they’re more like Trojans taking over my world: making me work harder to get them the best life I can, eating away at my idle time with child’s play and E rated games, pushing me to better myself and… Yeah, my daughters.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

My family once commissioned a custom art piece from one of my favorite artists based on a fictional character of mine. The effort and subtlety needed to gather the information for the commission was as precious as the artwork itself.
Michael Williams, Engineer

The gift of life! Hahaha, no. In all seriousness, the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the beginning of what got me here today.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

Being able to work at Bungie.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Dethklok: Dethalbum II on vinyl.
Forrest Soderlind: Technical Artist

Will Edgette, Engineer

Hope.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

spartain ken 15 Do you guys ever think you would sell some Bungie-themed Christmas cards?

If you refresh the front page of our website, you can have one for free. There ain’t any cash in it, but it’s still a sincere expression of our love and devotion. Of all the gifts that we’re to receive in the coming days, very few will make us as happy as your unshakable friendship.

And, thus, the Sack is empty. With its closure, we bring to an end another year of community love. This next year promises to be a more exciting one. Between now and then, do take care of yourselves. May your travels by safe, and your holiday loot plentiful.

Friendship of Mythic Proportions

Lean on me...

The Bungie Community is constantly astounding us with their creativity, and their solidarity. Recently, some ancients (who were playing Bungie games before some of their contemporaries were born) banded together to produce a piece of art that would steady a friend in need as he took steps toward a new challenge. Behold the intersection between passion for games and compassion for one's fellow gamer.

Miguel writes: Folks, here's a link to the whole Soulblighter Sword Cane saga, how it came to be, why we did it, etc. It all started back at the tail end of August (right before PAX Prime!) and is finally done now. The man has his uber-cane! Thanks of course to all of you for creating a wonderful environment for us to form such lasting friendships. Man, are we getting old.

Breaking In - Reed Shingledecker

Melting your face with FX...

What’s in a name? An artist by any other name could create environmental effects that are just as sweet. Yet, you have to admit that this guy carries a moniker through life that you’ll not soon forget. We can only hope, for all of our sakes, that his work on our next game will leave an equally indelible impression. Let’s see if he’s up to the challenge…

You there! Identify yourself, and tell us what you’re doing here.

My name is Reed Shingledecker and I’m an FX Artist here at Bungie. I’ll assist in bringing beautiful worlds to life with environmental effects and, occasionally, create a grand explosion that melts faces off.

Thank you for making our game a beautiful place in which to have one’s face melted. Are you an environmentalist in the real world as well? Or just in ours?

Outside of work, I’m usually pretty laid back. I recently picked up playing the violin, which is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But, it’s very rewarding when you can play a song that people recognize and enjoy. Other than that, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé and enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest.

It sounds like you are more of an indoor guy, then. You don’t hear a lot of kids saying that they want to be “Environment Effects Artists” when they grow up. What did your younger self used to dream about doing with his grown up self?

I really wanted to be a professional baseball player when I was younger. I played second base and I wanted to play for the Atlanta Braves. When I got into high school, I realized that probably wasn’t going to happen after not making the team. I shifted my studies to becoming a chef. I was sure to attend a culinary school, until the day I watched Pixar’s Toy Story. That movie altered my life path to where I am today.

Unfortunately for your ambitions, the only education that Disney provides leads to theme park experience. Where, then, did you decide to seek higher learning that would enable you to melt faces with digital entertainment?

I received my Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation from the Art Institute of Portland. There, I learned most of the principal tools in 3DS Max and Maya. I still use principals of animation and scale, form, and perspective. All of that is extremely useful in creating realistic art in games.

Are we the first place that has had you creating art for games? Or was there another stop for you along the path that leads from watching a Pixar movie to working on our Art Team?

Before working at Bungie, I spent three and a half years at a small FX outsourcing studio in Seattle. I was more than blessed to work on eleven different games: including Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2, Darksiders, XCOM, and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. I was a level builder on the Call of Duty titles. On all the others, I worked on FX. I was fortunate enough to work under industry vets with fifteen years of experience. They taught me everything I know about creating awesome art.

You’ve got some great games under your professional belt. Was that, along with the dashing name at the top of your resume, enough to convince us that we should take a look at you? How did you get your foot into our heavily-guarded door?

I just kept applying. I must have applied to Bungie twice a year for 6 years. As my portfolio grew, so did my quality of work. I kept removing the older work which wasn’t as good as my current work. I think my work on XCOM is what might have impressed them most.

We’ll never tell. It takes more than a kick ass portfolio to close the deal here, as you know. Do you remember the most challenging moments from your interview loop? Have you repressed those memories like a traumatic episode?

It took me about a year of interviewing at different places to feel confident in my work. I was a little afraid of change but I wanted this job so bad that I wasn’t going to let myself down. The interview was surprisingly easy and their interest in me was apparent so it went really smooth.

You’re shattering our image as a tough sell, but I won’t ask you to fabricate any nightmare stories. Now that you have your dream job, what’s the best thing about coming into work every day?

Getting to work with the most talented people in the industry. I can look over my monitor and see a lot of mind-blowing work that has yet to make it into the game. It makes me work just that much harder to keep up with the quality bar here. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Describe a day in the life in our studio.

I usually show up around nine, turn on my lamp, and smile really big knowing I’m at the greatest place on Earth. The studio is already buzzing with creativity. People are chatting about their night or about what they are going to be working on. I start by doing a quick play through of the level I am working on to see if anything has changed. Then for the next couple of hours I work on my task list until lunch. Being a new hire, I usually go out for lunch, since the company pays if you go with someone new every time. After lunch, it’s more creating FX tasks. During the day someone may or may not drop something and the studio will do a unified clap for that individual. It’s quite amusing. I then head out the door a little after six.

Sounds like you’re a stranger to crunch. Give us time. We’ll challenge you. Of course, we’ll give enough perks to help you survive. Which one do you think will help you go the distance?

My favorite perk is by the Bungie love. Being surprised with an onsite barista or random t-shirts is amazing. Every time an email comes in about a surprise I just sit back and smile thinking that I can’t believe this is happening to me.

Oh, it’s happening to you alright. We might have to do a follow up to this piece to see if you’re still this satisfied next year. We have a lot to build, and that’ll require each of us to elevate our own personal game. How do you plan to evolve your work while you work?

I try to stay ahead of the curve by seeing what others are doing and trying to do better. If I cannot do better, I ask them to show me how to. I’m always asking questions and also answering them when others ask. As I learn a new technique or a solution to a problem, I can take that knowledge forward and that becomes my quality bar. It like a giant never ending staircase and it so funny to look back at stuff you thought was awesome six months ago think that it’s not nearly as good as you could have done today.

You’ve made your job sound just as fun as some people might have imagined. You may have altered a path or two of your own through the course of this conversation – like your very own Toy Story. What would you suggest to the inspired?

To break into this industry I believe you have to really want it. It’s hard, there are long hours, crazy deadlines, and lots of coffee. But the reward is beyond amazing. Seeing people line up at midnight in the freezing cold to buy a game you worked on is an amazing feeling. When trying to break in, I made the classic mistake of having everything I had ever made in my portfolio. I quickly realized that I need to make better quality art and only show the very best. I ran through games and tried to recreate what I was seeing. Once I could make a model with a texture that would ship in a game, I knew I was ready to submit a portfolio that would be taken seriously.

Experience, Work Ethic, or Talent? Rank them in order of importance to your role.

Talent, Work Ethic, Experience. Talent will get you in the door. Work ethic will show your willingness to learn and Experience is a combination of the previous two.

We’re as thrilled to have Reed on the team as he is to be here with us. He’s not kidding about this being a nice place to work. If he’s sold you on the idea of making games for a living, but you don’t fancy yourself an artist, there’s no reason to lose hope. You can always browse the Breaking In archive in search of many paths to walk.

MailSackalypse

The end is nigh...

It's with a heavy heart that we loosen the strings on this bundle of mail. The ocean of misinformation on the Internet is filled with ominous waves that foretell the end of times. If the prophecies buried in the Mayan calendar turn out to be more than poorly translated mirages, at this time next week, we’ll all be scurrying to outrun our own panicked demise. That means that his could be the very last Mail Sack to ever grace Bungie.net. Should the world come crashing to an end, it’s doubtful that our website will survive.

Let’s savor this moment, everyone. It’s time to open the Sack. Perhaps for the last time...

THORSGOD What’s your personal hell?

Why are you asking? Is it because you also think that we’ll all be delivered there next week? I can’t face the music, yet. The Bungie Panel will have to answer this question…

Being bored.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

A staring contest with a man who has no face.
Drew Smith, Producer

Being locked in a room with a net-terminal and only flakey, dial-up modem to keep me entertained.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

There’s only decaf.
Tom Slattery, Localization Content Manager

A room full of spiders.
Rachel Swavely, Associate Technical Artist

An eternal Monday morning staff meeting at a large government bureaucracy.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

xXIHAYD0IXx If you were given one standard United States Army Squad with all their organic materials (no artillery and air support) during the American Revolution, how and where would you use them to maximize their effectiveness?

Do you daydream about upsetting the balance of history with modern firepower, too? In this case, I’d post that squad of time travelers at the top of Bunker Hill and say “Standard orders are still in effect... Don’t fire ‘till you see the whites of their eyes.” Of course, with their high-definition optics, this range would be realized with a lot more room for them to breathe.

The limitations you’re imposing here do sort of limit the fun we could have. I mean, why not intercept the invasion army with a carrier group about a mile off the coast, as if to say “Wassup?”

RighteousTyrant What alcoholic drink goes best with making games? And don't lie. I'm sure you've done it a time or two.

A Dark and Stormy.
Luke Ledwich, Test Engineer

It switches every project. For this game, the wheel of fortune seems to have landed on tequila.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Chilled Nigori Genshu sake, and I could use some now.
Michael Milota, Slovadomilotavitch

Anything that fits in a beer helmet.
Drew Smith, Producer

Home-brewed root beer. 1 proof, wooo!
Tom Sanocki, Staff Artist

We call it Blöödwine, but outside of these walls, it’s known as Rumplemintz. 100 proof of minty goodness.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Beer for playtest. Whiskey for coding. Absinthe for crunch.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

A Rum and coke; but have a Monster energy drink handy so you don’t get too sleepy.
Kevin Hart, Artist

Scotch: pretty much a required part of game development.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

Chimay Rouge, which has been known to show up in our beer fridge from time to time.
Joe Venzon, Engineer

Jameson.
Adam Williams, Artist

For me, that’d be Smirnoff Ice. I can hear you judging me, but it’s a tasty beverage!
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Rainier beer mixed with 5 Hour Energy.
Stosh Steward, Web Designer

Bailey’s and Coffee.
Justin Truman, Engineering Lead

Mountain Dew.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Single malt scotch, neat, preferably as smoky as a fire pit.
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

Bundaberg Over-Proof Rum.
Chris Butcher, Senior Engineering Lead

Beer is my go-to when working late hours. I try to stay away from harder stuff while I’m working. Working a 12 hour day with a hangover is a TERRIBLE idea - not that such things have ever happened to me.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

blizzera27 How many stars are in the universe?

“Billions and billions.” –Carl Sagan

All of humanity Who's your favorite Doctor?

Is this a census? Are you testing us? Because that never ends well…

What say you, Bungie Panel? Is there a Doctor in the house?

Daniel Hanson, Engineer

Kevin Hart, Artist

John Hopson, User Research Lead

Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Troy Mcfarland, Motion Capture Lead

Michael Milota, Slovadomilotavitch

Chris Owens, Associate Test Engineer

David Shaw, Producer

Drew Smith, Producer

Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Rachel Swavely, Associate Technical Artist

Joe Venzon, Engineer

Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Adam Williams, Artist

gorocurt What are/is the only acceptable topping(s) on a hot dog?

According to the laws of Chicago, the birthplace of Bungie (and its Assistant to the Community Manager), a proper Hot Dog can be garnished with just about anything but ketchup.

catman6 What's the most exotic meat you've eaten?

Good question! If our civilization is reduced to rubble next week, we’ll probably have to revert to appetites that favor whatever we can catch in the wild. Hopefully, the Bungie Panel isn’t finicky…

Two fancy gentlemen holding picnic baskets talking to one another in a park full of butterflies.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Two bonobos locked in an uncomfortable stalemate, each wanting to bowl in the direction blocked by the other, and so left with no choice but to stand in silence beneath a pair of kidneys suspended like light bulbs from the ceiling above--the softly cast shadows of the organs a gruesome reminder of the stakes for those who would engage in this primal, bumper-free game.
Tom Slattery, Localization Content Manager

Two girls and one cup. A very big cup.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

A cow on his way to becoming steak.
Josh Eash, Release Manager

Two bird-ladies bending over to pour water out of a jar. Their hearts are beating out of their chests because they love each other, even while their baby hatchlings fall from the nests behind them. But what does it mean?
Stephen Hodde, Senior Audio Designer

You’re not truly a man until you have written an app in assembly.Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

A true man must know how to do seven things:
He must know how to use a sword.
He must know how to use a gun.
He must know how to read an ancient language.
He must know how to write code.
He must know how to ballroom dance.
He must know how to bake a pie.
He must know how to repair a helicopter engine.Tom Sanocki, Staff Artist

It just happens. One moment you’re a boy in school, and the next you’re looking at pictures of yourself taken from above and realize you barely have any hair left. Before you know it, you’ve got coworkers telling you they were born in the ‘90s.Tom Slattery, Localization Content Manager

Wear a pink shirt, and don’t give a -blam- what anyone has to say about it.
Drew Smith, Producer

Watch the Matrix Trilogy, the Star Wars trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. No breaks. And if you say some of those are not trilogies, I’ll just ignore you.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

The Klingon Rite of Ascension.
Chris Owens, Associate Test Engineer

Treat others with respect, especially those who have less power than you.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

I’ve initiated the rite of manhood at the bachelor party for one of my friends. Each attendee came up with their own ritual. He survived. That’s all I can say about it.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

One will only attain true manhood when one realizes he never will. /zen
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

When you have the tools to support yourself, then you are a man.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Be as swift as a coursing river.
Have the force of a great typhoon.
Build the strength of a raging fire.
Be as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.
Daniel Hanson, Engineer

Have at least one Y chromosome.
Justin Truman, Engineering Lead

Surgery.
Rachel Swavely, Associate Technical Artist

Mythical_Wolf Will we die next Friday?

We will not die – not as a global civilization, at least. I give you my promise. You see, this is a totally safe bet. If the world doesn’t come to an end, the Internet is left thinking “Wow, those Bungie guys know what’s up!” If we do get knocked down by some grand cataclysm in accordance with Mayan prophecy, you’ll hardly have the resources to tell us how very wrong we were. Thus, we’re taking an optimistic tack. Never mind the satire buried in the title of this Mail Sack. People who bet on the end of the world always lose. We shall return.

Breaking In - Andy Howell

Make me a match...

At Bungie, we believe that anything that's fun to do is more fun to do with your friends. This obviously includes playing a great game. But making a game that you can play with your friends over the Internet is no easy feat. Fortunately, we have can-do leaders like this guy to make sure we get it right…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

My name is Andy Howell. I’m the Matchmaking Test Lead here at Bungie! My team ensures that Matchmaking in our game is painless and fun. Without us, you would never be able to play with your friends. We help to push for quality across the entire matchmaking process, from start to finish of a game.

Sorry I can’t tell you more, you know... super-secret stuff.

I know all too well, my friend. Keeping secrets is a part of life at Bungie right now, but someday we’ll get to enjoy a conversation with our community about what we’ve been developing. Until then, how will you be passing the time?

Super-secret stuff. And Star Trek, other science fiction, motorcycles, fast cars, photography, comic books (mostly DC), and weird giant robot models. I also am very interested in honing my skills. I volunteer for many projects and make different “tech demos” and mods outside of work. I love breaking and building new fun things, usually in that order, followed by breaking them again.

With all this talk of breaking things and seeing them fixed, it would seem that you were born to be a Test Lead. Has this always been your plan? What did your inner seven year old dream of being?

A Starship captain, for reals. I wanted to protect the earth from aliens and explore the galaxy. Find strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civil… you get the idea.

It does sound familiar. Since mankind didn’t get around to creating a Starfleet you could enlist in by the time you reached a working age, what sort of schooling did you seek for yourself?

I studied Computer Science and Multimedia Production. I use what I learned EVERY DAY. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was tailoring an education to assist me in my future career, funny how that works.

A lot of people would call that lucky, rather than funny. Tell us how that worked for you. How did that future career start to take shape?

I started out in Information Technologies for education, teaching computers how to use teachers in their class rooms. Wait, I mean the other way around, maybe…

Then I moved on to become a multimedia producer for a church, which was really fun. Not only did I get to help people, but I was able to create cool new multimedia experiences. When I was laid off due to downsizing, I found out that Microsoft was looking for testers for their new super-secret project on the (then new) Xbox. I was testing Xbox LIVE functionality across all games a few weeks later.

The migration from working on Xbox LIVE to working at Bungie makes total sense, but can you recall the steps that led you to us?

I was found by a headhunter who needed to fill a contract role at Bungie. Next thing I knew, I was helping to finish up Halo: Reach. After we shipped the game, I went on to work for a few other game studios. However, Bungie had wanted me to come back, and the timing was finally right!

Welcome back. We missed you, but not enough to let you sidestep the standard interrogation in our interview chambers. Can you face those memories and provide would-be applicant with a warning about the horrors of our recruitment process?

Here at Bungie, we like to ask “interesting” questions. It helps us know how you think. My interrogation was an all-day process, so I would say my last few interviews started to get harder since I was very tired. I had just flown to Seattle from Rhode Island - the other side of the world almost – so I had Jet Lag, and my brain was fried from a day filled with questions. Someone asked me a logical testing question about a device I had never heard of or even thought to test. At first, I hit a brick wall. Then I started to think outside of the box. Obviously I pulled through.

Now that you’re in the box, what’s the best thing about the work that you do for Bungie?

I love that we take time to play our game here. When we bring a new system online, it’s great to see people playing with it, or interacting with it – and even better if they aren’t even aware of it. It’s very rewarding. We create fun, and I get to see it on the faces of my co-workers.

You paint a vivid big picture, but what is one day like around here?

FUN! I love what I do. I love the games we make. I can’t imagine doing anything other than making video games. Our average day is to break things and do science, what could be better than that?

It sounds like you’re pretty happy with your Bungie experience. And yet, we go well out of our way to keep guys like you content. What’s your favorite perk as a member of the team?

I would say it has to be the Bungie love we receive. For instance, Bungie will arrange for pre-screenings of movies, outside events, and other fun group activities.

What is your favorite accomplishment as a member of the Bungie team? Describe that one moment in which someone appreciate your work, and assured you that you belonged here…

I would have to say when we work on a bug that ends up being a hornet’s nest, and we have to spend time unraveling the issue. Once we get to the core and can identify the problem with certainty, I am satisfied in my job. I try to recreate that moment every day.

Another thing we need to do every day is enrich our skills. What is your plan to become ever more dangerous to the bugs you’re hunting?

I talked a bit above about how I try to expand my wheel house with personal projects. I also spend a lot of time just playing video games. I’ve been working in this industry for a long time now, so that can be a task at this point. However, when I just play games, I find it makes me better at my job. The simple joy of playing a game makes me want to make our game as fun as I can.

That sounds like hard work, but it’s work that many people would like to do. What would you tell them to help set them on the path of becoming Test Lead?

Give it everything you have. I would suggest this to anyone trying to do anything they’re passionate about. You REALLY need to grab on with both hands and hold on to that dream. Learn all that you can about game development, build mods, play betas and alpha tests, read books. Do what you can to enrich yourself, because just wanting it is never enough. Dreamers just want it. Doers will build it and make it happen. You will never get what you want by just wanting it.

Andy is here because our games won’t test themselves, so we must return him to his daily pursuit of that perfect moment. While our Test Teams are the bedrock of our development process, Bungie needs doers of many different varieties. The Breaking In archive is a great place to learn all about the different kinds of fun that beckon from our development floor. We need doers of all kinds.

Once More Unto the Mail Sack

Let slip the dogs of Bungie...

Every self-respecting Mail Sack begins with an opening act that sets the stage. One cannot just dive right into community love. You need to set the mood. Well, this week, we were so anxious to tear into your letters that we said “To hell with that!”

Let’s open the Sack.

Krimm117 Have you ever been awarded The Shaft, and if so, why?

Ah, yes. The Shaft! For the uninitiated, it’s the dreaded totem that stands on our desks as a monument to our costliest mistakes. As I was writing these very words, Jon Cable stopped by to ask if I knew its whereabouts. That spells very bad news for someone, friends. Let’s see if our Bungie Panel knows where it might be found…

No, but I awarded it to your mom once. Once.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

Not yet. Give it time.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

If you do get the Shaft, you’re told to never to talk about it.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

The shaft has been on my desk for months. I stole it.
Luke Timmins, Senior Engineering Lead

Mr. Timmins, keep an eye out for Mr. Cable.

crawlingshadow9 What is your favorite video game genre and why?

What if I told you that we loved racing games? Or dancing games? How would that warp your theory about what we’re creating in this (occasionally compromised) cloak of secrecy? I can tell when a Mail Sack question is baited like a hook intended to catch some details about our labor of love. Sometimes, I feel like a security guard who can pull a thief out of a crowd of eager shoppers.

Drew is formerly a Hipster from the East Coast. His origins endow him with eccentric tastes that extend from his fancy assortment of headphones all the way down to his fleet of funky shoes. This tragically fashionable disposition impacts his music selection as well. I’ll let him offer a counterpoint, since no Hipster alive would tolerate their identification as a Hipster. Drew?

I was posting on BBSs before you even knew what a 2400 baud modem was DeeJ. Now where did I leave my PBR?
Drew Smith, Producer

SilverBulitt82 If you discovered another planet similar to earth on the far side of our galaxy, what would you name it?

SilverBulitt83.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

Urmom.
David Johnson, Engineer

Hurth.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

Bubba.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Kate Upton, since the chances are slim that I’d be able to visit either.
Noah George, Sever Ninja

You make our official community game nights sound like Velociraptors. While equally ferocious, they are in hibernation, rather than extinct. The convention of the Ride Along will return. What we really need to make them meaningful is a new game that we can share as player and creator. We’re working on that, as hard and as fast as we can.

coolmike699 If you got the chance to blow up one thing, what would it be?

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

I always thought getting to plan and blow up things like this looked like a great job:

Jonty Barnes, Production Director

Time.
Drew Smith, Producer

A Golf course, if it would mean my putt would go in:

Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Do the cars of everyone who drives under the speed limit count as one thing? If not, I would say Pluto, to put it out of its misery since it’s not a planet anymore.
Travis Pijut, Test Engineer

Planet Owens.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

This question leaves me wondering why so many of our Test Engineers want to destroy planets. Looks like it’s time to check their shared documents for plans to build a Death Star.

A Pimpin Lady Where does Bungie find/hire their contract employees?

They find us, traveling the same treacherous path that’s been negotiated by everyone on the Bungie team. That journey begins with a single first step, and you can find it on our Careers page.

Unanimate Objec How do you combat your body's eternal spiral into decomposition?

Denial.
Jonty Barnes, Production Director

Preservatives.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

I’ve been eating better and working out more, but it’s really the ritualistic sacrifices that should keep me going for another century.
Noah George, Sever Ninja

I combat it mentally (I’m losing).
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Work out twice a day. Burn more than you eat.
Travis Pijut, Test Engineer

Candy. In reality, it’s likely just like taping rockets to collapsing arteries and blasting further into the decomposition wormhole. But, dang, gummi bears are WORTH it.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Dropship dude As hard as it is for us to be in the dark, how hard is it for staff at Bungie to keep a lid on the greatness being developed within the walls of the studio? The desire to get what you've been working so hard on out there must be overwhelming.

So overwhelming, in fact, that I have a whole team of censors who watch my every move. The urge to bathe the Bungie Blog in the sweet action that I see every day is almost irresistible. Deploying content from me to you requires more authentication and approval than is required to launch a missile from a submarine, and I don’t have a key.

spawn031 Worst experience on a date. Go.

During the get-to-know you phase of a first date, my dinner companion told me all about her last boyfriend, and how their relationship ended because he played too many video games. This fed logically (and tragically) into a conversation about what I did for fun. I didn’t have the heart to lie. That was before the appetizers had been delivered to the table. Thanks for spawning that memory. Let’s see if our panel has been any luckier…

We hiked up to Griffith Observatory hung over. I lost count of the times I heaved. She didn’t call me back.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I showed up at the restaurant and she was having dinner with some random guy that she had just met. On the upside, I didn’t have to pay for dinner.
Travis Pijut, Test Engineer

My date decided it was a bad idea to order the red wine, because it would stain her teeth and her therapist would know that she’d been drinking again.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

I made out with someone who had just eaten several dill pickles.
David Johnson, Engineer

Back in school I took the girl out. I planned everything for a night at the Frying Pan (a bar in NYC). When we met there I discovered she brought a friend. <cue price is right fail music>
Drew Smith, Producer

A date threw up on me once. I really can’t go into more detail here.
Noah George, Sever Ninja

I found out she was a vampire.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

Not enough cash to cover dinner… at Hooters.
John Stvan, Graphic Designer

It’s really hard to pick a winner/loser here. As for my own happy ending, it was my wife who bought me my first Xbox, and a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved. There is someone out there for everyone. Keep the faith, boys.

ChorrizoTapatio How tough is it to break into the marketing end of the gaming industry? Are individuals with business degrees just as valuable to Bungie as designers, engineers, and Jerome?

First of all, no one is more valuable than Jerome. Were it not for his unflinching service as our steely-eyed sentinel, Bungie HQ would have been overrun by anxious interlopers long, long ago. As for your more sincere question, the gaming industry can be a bit of a closed circle. Almost everyone who has braved the Internet as the subject of a Breaking In interview has told their story about learning to create their piece of our puzzle elsewhere, and then bringing those skills here. While most of the work done at Bungie is reliant on rare skills for crafting art or writing code, there are occasional roles to be filled by people with the business acumen to complete the equation between the developer and the gamer.

Kvaener Do you have an Arch-nemesis?

With the Pentathalon Puzzlehunt coming up, it would probably be Roger Wolfson.
David Johnson, Engineer

Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. One day I’ll retire from Soccer and kick his ass.
Jonty Barnes, Production Director

Yes, and she is also the mother of my children.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

David Shaw, Senior Producer

Not… anymore.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Of course, all great super heroes do.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

The need for sleep.
John Stvan, Graphic Designer

La Fours (mall security).
Drew Smith, Producer

scagjmboy45 How many cameras are in the Studio?

Do all the smart phones count? Or are you only asking about the electronic security eyes that peer into our space from just about every surface? Either way, it’s just about impossible to achieve the quality of “stealth” within these walls.

EpicWaffles If you won the lottery what would you do with the winnings?

“I would quit my job at Bungie!” said no one. Here’s what they did say…

Have some memories erased.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

I would buy a condo in the fancy high-rise right next to work.
Noah George, Sever Ninja

I’d buy a house, a nice car and then invest the rest into a massive domed structure in which contains a tropical paradise with all you’d expect to find there, including a surf-able beach, and a steady temperature of 80 degrees.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

It depends on the amount.
$1 million: pay off the house, put money away for retirement & kid’s college
$15 million: start my own distillery
$25 million: Create a non-profit creative space for fine and performing arts, including a live/work space for resident artists & all ages theater & music venue
$50 million: All of the above, and create a scholarship foundation for art & technology students
$100 million: Hire a private doctor who is on call 24/7, and spends their time providing free health care to the local community
$250+ million: Hire a crack team of mercenaries to infiltrate the war torn Afghanistan mountains, and extract a pillar of lapis lazuli.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

LIGHTNING ROUND!

Gamer Whale Are there any cons in working at Bungie?
Are you asking if any of our people have done time?

SN068237264910 Where is the Webmaster?
We put him charge of our social networks.

CrazzySnipe55 Are you going to have community beta testers for Bungie.next.
There’s a pretty good chance of that. Who’s ready for the next evolution?

BC1096 Is it cool if I pop by Bungie on my birthday?
It all depends on what the word “pop” means in this context.

mister death WHY do you only choose the 'intelligent' questions?
Please see the previous question. So much for your theory.

JScientia13 Have you ever thought about asking us questions in the mail sack?
Thought about it - even did it. We find that we like it better when you ask the questions – and the stranger the better.

QuirkyNate What are the strangest questions someone has asked you outside of the mail sack?

You really don’t want to know the answer to that. Seriously.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

Do Chucky’s interview questions count?
David Johnson, Engineer

I interviewed an engineering candidate who asked me if I liked a picture of a wolf that he’d just drawn. He really didn’t talk much about programming and the whole interview was quite unsettling. I’ll never forget it.
Jonty Barnes, Production Director

Are you really a Prince? This was a pickup line an older woman used on me when I gave her my business card at an industry event. It had a picture of a frog on it. That was a bit awkward.
Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Where would I be if I were a muffin?
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Long before I was at Bungie, I was asked who my favorite cartoon character was during a job interview.
Noah George, Sever Ninja

They don’t get any stranger than the mail sack.
David Hurd, Support Engineer

I never leave the Mail Sack.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Thank you, Chris. It’s our hope that no one will ever leave the Mail Sack. We love all of you too much to let you get away. If you try, they’ll find you in the woods! We’re sorry if that feels creepy, but it’s how we feel. And there’s no point in denying one’s feelings.

We’ll continue this overly attached love affair next week, Bungie Community. See you in the mailroom on Monday.

Bungie Crews The Artemis

Per Audacia Ad Astra

It’s no secret that Bungie dreams of traveling (boldly) to the stars. So many of our games have flung humanity into the vast reaches of space in search of intrigue and adventure. It’s also no secret that Bungie loves to play games – all kinds of games. Tables in our studio have been found strewn with controllers, dice, cards, chips, figurines, and even the occasional pawn or queen. Recently, as a mission to explore a strange new blend of these two passions, we built ourselves a starship.

It was as good a way as any to spend a lunch hour. The bridge for this mighty vessel was our state of the art theater. When we aren't using it to screen films with our families and friends (or show our emerging game to very special guests), this multimedia lounge makes for a luxurious Combat Information Center. The game in play was Artemis, a simulator that brings six players together on a network to roleplay as a space-faring crew.

Our ship builder was Garrett Greer. Appropriately enough, Garrett is a Bungie Engineer who troubleshoots our games to keep them in strong working order. As someone who first played Artemis at a LAN Party, he knew that he had to enlist his Bungie teammates into this virtual space program. “My first thought when I saw the theatre was that this would be the best bridge ever,” he recalls.

There’s Garrett, advising Tom Gioconda on the command console he would use to lead our mission. If you’re no stranger to Bungie.net, you may know Tom as Achronos, an Overlord of our community clubhouse. The moment he assumed the big chair, we called him Captain.

A Captain is nothing without his crew. It was these brave souls that volunteered to man the stations that would keep Artemis functioning like a living organism. From left to right, they are: Jacob Miner (Science Officer), Kurt Nellis (Communications Officer), Michael Williams (Helm), Sergey Mkrtumov (Weapons Chief), Jay Thaler (Engineering Chief).

“What really amazes me about this game is how easily people get into their roles,” said Garrett, who began his off-world naval career with an itchy trigger finger. “I started at the weapons station where I quickly earned a reputation for over zealously loading nukes and randomly shooting ordnance.”

It would happen that, aboard the Artemis, such overzealousness is a very common trait among green officers. Our maiden voyage was anything but a hero’s tale. Fresh out of spacedock, our space cowboy of a Captain ordered his crew to open up the throttle. And who can blame him? It’s not every day that life affords you the chance to bark “Maximum Warp!” at a bridge staffed by eager cadets.

Tragically, our anxious crew never even saw the minefield that brought their trek to a sudden and explosive end. Fortunately, their peril was all just part a game. Watching your shiny new spaceship disappear in a luminous cloud of debris is something that you can laugh about when you can conjure up another one with a few clicks of a mouse.

With some lessons about carefully plotting a course under their belt, our crew ventured forth again. This time, they took more care to chart their surroundings. If you can avoid the derelict munitions strewn throughout the system, there is much to experience aboard the Artemis. Missions of many types beckon from the cosmos. Stranded explorers cry out for rescue. Strange phenomena invite research. Local space stations are available to refit and resupply.

“Red Alert!” No space romp would be complete without a battle against hostile invaders. After their untimely demise in the minefield, the Bungie crew found their rhythm as a team. Under the steady guidance of her Captain, the Artemis fended off several attacks against their own ship and the home base that kept them stocked with torpedoes. The programmable lighting system in our theatre helped to set the mood. With weapons and shields at their fingertips, they ruled the stars.

This will not be our last mission. The word is out at Bungie, and astro-lunches are to become a habit. Thanks to the creators of Artemis for making a great game, as well as to Garrett for helping us to blast off. You don’t need a private theater to enjoy this game. The home version is available to all on the Artemis website. All you need is a brave crew, and a little bit of networking muscle.

The Return of the Mail Sack

In stars lie hidden messages...

It’s been a while since we've completed the ritual of a proper Mail Sack. So much has happened in recent weeks to interrupt the flow of community love. Good old Xbox LIVE celebrated its tenth birthday – which completes a full era in Internet years. American descendants of colonial defectors devoured millions of flightless birds and battled each other in shopping centers to celebrate the things for which we’re most thankful. And, there was that small matter of the conceptual glimpse of new universe that we let slip.

But enough about the past. Let’s look optimistically toward the future, and open the Sack!

Vladof Assassin Why does Bungie do these 'Mail Sacks'? It just seems like a waste of resources.

Dude! Waste of resources? Talk like that could get me fired. Mind you, I’m not sweating my untimely demise too hard. Bungie assigns an enormous amount of value to good community relations, which is why I get to sit in this comfy chair and bide my time until our gag order is lifted. As for the Mail Sack, I've always believed that listening is more important to a healthy relationship than talking. That’s why I like to ask you fine people questions. Plus, it also helps me plug the void that I will ultimately fill with chatter about our next game.

Soon™.

dmg04 Did you miss us?

Nope. I've been here all this time, looking in on your heated debates and sounding off where it became necessary. Since I've been keeping you all to myself, it’s our panel that might have been missing you…

Every day. I can't wait until we’re firehosing information at you guys.Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Sure, but I knew our paths would cross again!Jay Weinland, Senior Audio Lead

Since answering these Mail Sacks is the only responsibility I have here at Bungie, it has been a terribly lonely and unproductive November. Thanks for coming back, it means a lot.Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

I've thought of you every day while you've been away!Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Not as much as you missed me.Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Real nice, Chris. Keep an eye on Owens. He’s easily the boldest troll in this Sack.

r c takedown Did you have to move when you scored a job at Bungie?

Aside from the few of us who actually lived in the Greater Seattle area when they got hired, we all had to move. I get the question about “telecommuting” a lot from people who stare longingly at our careers page, but harbor a lingering devotion to their own back yard. At Bungie, there is no such thing as working from home. You have to enter the honeycomb if you want to access the hive mind. Fortunately, Bungie does a lot to make the experience worth the trek.

WestCoastRonin Besides building an awesome universe that none of us can see yet, what is a perk of working at Bungie that most of us on the outside wouldn't know about?

Personally, the chance to be a fly on the walls that contain my favorite creative process is a real treat. The chance to make a contribution to that process is still surreal. Our esteemed panelists might have a less starry-eyed perspective…

Music is blasted throughout the men’s restroom. It’s a beautiful thing.
Matthew Ward, Senior Cinematic Designer

Insanity classes in The Central.
Drew Smith, Producer

Amazing and often hilarious Photoshops by our artists that only our eyes get to see.
Tom Slattery, Localization Content Manager

New Employee Free Lunch program, by far. New Employees can go out with every person at Bungie over the first 6 months and Bungie will pay!
Jay Weinland, Senior Audio Lead

The speed of our network - it will seriously melt your face. Transferring files at home makes me feels like a turtle. If I'm not at work, the Interwebs feel like I'm connecting through dial-up.
Michael Strein, Engineer

I’ve learned a lot, just by working with other departments at Bungie. We have very talented people here, and it rubs off. We work in an open office. No cubicles! It makes for easy sharing of ideas.
J Garris Jones, Technical Artist

The Oompa Loompas who make us candy on a daily basis.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

We have a liquor license and a fully stocked beer fridge for whenever the occasion calls for either.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Don't tell Harold, but I'd probably work here in exchange for a dormitory-style room and three hot meals a day.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Recon Number 54 So, are you going to answer the questions that were asked in the BWTJHA era (Before Well That Just Happened Again) or the current era now known as OMGWTFBIMMDCT (OMGWTF Bungie Is Making My Dreams Come True)?

Sorry. We’re not quite ready to call this an end of an era just yet. Soon™.

Big Black Bear Do you enjoy making people cry?

Only if they deserve it. And, only if the proper authorities aren’t around to intervene on their behalf.

THORSGOD What was your most recent interaction with an officer of the law?

Great question! Let’s learn all about the fascinating crimes that have been committed by the Bungie panel, as well as the death-defying escapes from justice that resulted…

My wife and I had dinner with my good friend (and police officer) Jack and his wife back in San Francisco. We grilled lamb. It was delicious.
Matthew Ward, Senior Cinematic Designer

I bought a parking permit in San Francisco. I had to secure several spaces.
Drew Smith, Producer

We recently got pulled over for making a free right that wasn't so free.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

A hug.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Man, that was a total letdown. Not a single high speed chase in the mix. We need to get out more.

Frag Ingot If you had to choose one screenshot to represent everything awesome about your next game, what screenshot would you choose?

No single image would do the trick. There’s a reason we plan a steady cadence of assets and information as part of our marketing plan; we don’t want to desensitize you, or strip you of your own free will. Not yet, at least.

JScientia13 Can you give us the name of the awesome looking vehicle in the recently released image that is now my wallpaper?

Well, now that you mention it, we’re partial to Awesome Looking Vehicle.

homocidalham I'm feeling down. Can you say something to cheer me up?

Oh, yeah? Did you have a tough week? Here are some words of inspiration from our cheery panelists…

Every day is a new opportunity to try new paths, and there are a ton of amazing things to be discovered both big and small.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and you have to assume it is not an oncoming train. That thought has gotten me through some heinous crunches over the past 17 years in video games.
Jay Weinland, Senior Audio Lead

Free beer?
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

www.failblog.org
Drew Smith, Producer

If none of those sentiments have done the trick, you can always try music.

arzeik What is the song you listen to when you’re low and you need to cheer up?

Please don't judge me too harshly, but when I seriously need cheering up, I listen to popular pop music (Call me, Firework, Gangam). It's simple, happy, and warm, like going for a drive on a sunny day. In other moods, I'll listen to the more complex stuff you hear on KEXP.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

There is a Jimmy Cliff Live album has a few tracks that stick out (Wonderful World, Beautiful People, or You Can Get it if You Really Want it) but then most Reggae makes me happy. A little more modern might be first Joe Jackson album or the first section of Elvis Costello’s Punch The Clock (if those count as more modern… *sigh* yes I’m old).
Jay Weinland, Senior Audio Lead

You Make My Dreams by Hall and Oates always works for me.
J Garris Jones, Technical Artist

Theme song to Cheers.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I ZEROC00L I Will the podcast make its return? Or is it gone forever?

It’s gone forever, or until we decide to revive it. Once we have more to talk about, we just might commit some of those conversations to a castable format. I’ve been accused of being in love with the sound of my own voice, so the odds are in your favor if you be an audiophile. I can tell you one thing: Lukems won’t be invited.

M1Silencer Who are the people you look up to and use as role models?

All of my role models are on the Mail Sack panel…

I think everyone at Bungie looks up to Marty. He’s tall and he’s been making music since the 30’s.
Matthew Ward, Senior Cinematic Designer

My mother and my close relatives are huge role models for me. Anything that is good about my character, I learned from them.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Jason Jones! He made the games I loved as a kid, and makes the games I love today.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I am my own role model. People look up to ME.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Well, duh! Thanks for defining “Role Model” for us, Drew. Looks like we have another entrant in the Troll Wars.

Izak609 Am I ambitious in assuming Bungie.next is around the corner, after the "leak"?

Is that all you can think about? I wouldn’t classify assumptions as ambitious. Anybody can just haphazardly lob a wild guess out there. So, no, you’re not ambitious in assuming anything.

MiloOmega I think I might be having a stroke due to the leak, suggestions?

Elevate your feet, and place a phone call to the first responders in your community.

GPK Ethan How does one start modding?

When I first came to Bungie, I met Nate Hawbaker, a fellow community recruit. I remembered some his work from Halo.Bungie.Org. While he freely admitted to me that he cut his teeth as a member of the Halo modding community, he assured me that he was not responsible for the flying Warthogs that terrified me so much in Halo 2. Check out how his experiences helped him to become a member of our team…

First, a disclaimer: All modifications to software should be done under the apprehension that it’s for educational and recreational use. Modifying code should never be attempted in the interest of something nefarious like cheating.

Do you want to start working on a game that has official developer support for user-created content/modification, or do you want to work on a game that doesn’t necessarily have support?

If you want to rely on developer support, the answer is pretty straight forward. Search the Internet for the numerous engines available (Unreal, Source, CryEngine). There is a wealth of documentation and tutorials out there that will cover far more than I ever could in a paragraph or two.

If you want to get into making/changing content that doesn't have official developer support, things get more difficult. For nine years, I was involved in the Halo modding scene. There’s a very active community that harbored the same sort of work you might find in any supported community. All the development and reverse-engineering falls onto the users in that space, but it usually still produces wonderful results.

I think modding is as important as anything else when it comes to getting a job in the games industry. The process of properly condensing polycounts, maintaining good topology, importing your content through the engine, and reconstructing shaders through that engine’s system is truly an art unto itself. Modding allows you to translate your conceptual ideas into a crafted player experience – and that is one shiny star on your resume.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

MozzarellaMonky Do you accept Christmas gifts from fans?

Your love is gift enough.

FloodScientist I love you.

You see? We’re easy to please. Consider our stocking stuffed.

Now that we’re back to a more predictable routine, the Mail Sack will return to its normal state as a gift that keeps on giving. We start collecting your letters every Monday on the Community Forum. That’s also the place where you can win a rare and special piece of Bungie loot if you can be the first to decipher this message…

Breaking In - Jennifer Ash

You can't pick your own brain...

Making a video game is not an exact science, but that doesn't stop us from trying to come close at Bungie. Before our next game makes its way into your hands, we'll run wave after wave of lab rats through its maze (that’s a metaphor, not a clue). Those beta testers will show us the dead ends and point out the tastiest pieces of cheese. One of the proctors of these wicked experiments will be this nice lady, who only recently brought her white coat into our lab…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

My name is Jennifer Ash and I’m an Associate User Researcher. In this role, I look at how people play and perceive games. I like to pick your brain. User Research for games is particularly challenging, because everyone has their own interpretation of events. Some ways we explore this are analysis and visualization of game data, eye tracking, user tests, and surveys. Through our studies, we hope to create the best game experience for you!

When you're not picking (or analyzing) our brains, how do you amuse yours?

I enjoy playing board and video games, knitting, reading, hanging out with friends, and watching movies, TV, or Anime.

Let’s talk about the journey that led you to us. Bungie is rarely the first step in a career path. What were some of your first steps?

Prior to Bungie, I was the curriculum owner of the Academic Initiative for System z team at IBM. We connected professors, clients, and students in meaningful ways to aid with enterprise skill obtainment. For the last two years, I was also attending NYU for my Master’s degree while designing educational tools and games. Before that, I was a User Experience Designer for z/OS at IBM, which meant performing heuristic evaluations, designing prototypes, and performing user testing on various parts of the operating system.

Each experience provided something that helped prepare me for this job. Both industry and academia contributed to different communication and people skills over a variety of situations, which is useful in pretty much any role. Working on school projects, academic research projects, and client presentations required me to learn new skills and adapt to new situations.

It’s hard to imagine that you chose this adventure for yourself as a child. How did these goals come into focus?

Up until Junior High, I wanted to become a teacher. I’ve always been interested in math and science, so my dad suggested looking into engineering, which seemed a good fit, so I pursued that through freshman year of college. I was particularly interested in animatronics, combining robotics with behavior. Game development was a natural progression when I found out I could combine all of my interests in one career path!

You mentioned the value of your experiences in academia. Would you be so kind as to recall your full trek to higher learning?

I have a Master’s degree in Digital Media Design for Learning from New York University, focusing on design for games for learning. My undergraduate degree was a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction, and Psychology, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

I still use a lot of what I learned from both majors. Game design and user research both require pulling from a wide variety of skills, so having a breadth of knowledge from computer science, engineering, cognitive science, psychology, and game design has helped a lot.

We’re pretty lucky to have a person of your skills to help us create a game that will make sense to the player. How did that courtship start? Can you tell us how you stood out among the people who want to work for Bungie?

I used purple ink on my resume. No, in all seriousness, we don’t get told what specifically made us stand out as an applicant. If I were to speculate, it was probably the breadth and depth of my resume/experience. I’ve always been focused on game design and user research. I am knowledgeable in a variety of programming languages which helps when performing data analysis and tooling. I have experience with research and scientific procedure for user studies. While a game design focus can make you a wary candidate in user research, understanding where the design team is coming from in their decision making process can be useful as long as you can stay objective. A lot comes down to timing, and being at the right place at the right time, but knowing the company and skills necessary helps a lot.

It helps get you in the door, but it doesn’t guarantee that you can stay. You have to survive an interview loop to enjoy that privilege. What was the hardest part about your trial as an applicant?

The interview questions. Some of the questions are more about your thought process and considerations, so it’s very difficult to know if what you gave was a ‘right’ answer or not. Not to mention the interview lasts for a good majority of the day, with a wide variety of interviewers, so you never know what to expect next. It’s both exhausting and exciting at the same time.

Your exhaustion has served you well. Now that you are one of us, what is the most exciting thing about researching the user?

Seeing people enjoy the game! We get to interact with users at very early stages, and it’s great to see how people feel about the game, and the changes made over time based upon early feedback or discoveries from our studies.

You speak of how your work evolves over time, but how would you describe just one day in the lab?

I typically get into work and grab a cup of coffee and read through emails. After, it comes down to tackling one of many projects, be it prepping a study, performing data analysis/visualization on a previous study, or playing a new build of the game. Then there’s lunch, which may or may not involve a newbie lunch (for the first 6 months of employment, teams can take a new employee out to lunch for free). After lunch, its back to working on projects, with an afternoon break to grab coffee with my team. Throughout the day, there’s usually multiple discussions regarding various upcoming or past studies, or hunting down people to find out further details regarding specifics of the game. With an open floor work environment, it makes it easy to start a conversation to discuss a particular aspect.

Other than the office-less floor plan and the free coffee, what’s the best thing about working here?

The people. The expertise and talent of the people who work here is incredible. There’s a high concentration of passionate, knowledgeable people that makes problem solving and brainstorming of any kind extremely effective.

I know you just got here, but is it too early to ask about your proudest moment in our studio?

I MacGyver’d a Halloween costume in a weekend made of spray paint, Christmas ornaments, electric candles, epoxy and a black dress that people actually recognized.

Ah, yes! You were our human Dalek (ardent fans of Dr. Who can plunder our Facebook page for more details). Aside from impromptu fashion challenges, how do you plan to enrich your skills in the service of great games?

I’ve always kept myself busy with side projects and volunteer opportunities. My Master’s program stays in touch via Facebook, and that always provides a number of interesting developments across academia and industry. I’ve found industry conferences are useful, not just for the information obtained, but the people I meet and the energy and motivation from being amongst others with similar passions and skills.

I had little doubt that you would keep the tip of your spear sharp. Would grindstone would you recommend to aspiring user researchers who want to be just like you when they grow up?

Don’t rely on just school work to get you in. It is a VERY competitive industry, and breaking in is often the most difficult part. Having side projects or research projects can really help demonstrate the unique skills you can bring to a company. Understanding what skills are necessary for the position you’re interested in helps a lot. And don’t stop networking. The games industry is still fairly small, all things considered, and it doesn’t hurt to know people.

The lab awaits your triumphant return, so we will conclude what has been a lovely chat with this final question: Experience, Work Ethic, or Talent? Rank them in order of importance to your role.

Talent and Experience could be interchangeable. Experience is necessary because many best practices aren’t well documented in this field yet, so having the knowledge of techniques or analyses that work well for a particular area is useful. Talent is useful because with any study that involves subjective data, it takes some intuition to know where to push for more information and what is important. Good work ethic is necessary for any role to be successful, so not as important as the other two to user research specifically.

We have picked Jennifer’s brain enough for now. It’s time to return her to the eager test-subjects who are lining up to do their part for Science. If her story has inspired you to become one of her coworkers, but Science is not your thing, don’t lose hope. We need all types at Bungie, and you stand a good chance of finding someone with skills like yours in the Breaking In archive.

Happy Thanksgiving

Stuffed with gratitude...

In Bungie’s corner of the global village, today is host to the cherished occasion of Thanksgiving. This local tradition reunites us with family and friends to catch up on gossip and dismantle a feast of legendary proportions. More importantly, it’s a chance to reflect on one’s good fortune.

Within the Bungie family, we consider ourselves very fortunate. Among our many blessings, we’re most thankful for you, the impassioned community of gamers who have kept us company these many years and explored the worlds we’ve created. Today, as we take a break from our mysterious work in progress to glutton ourselves into a stupor, you are in our thoughts – even if you aren’t engaged in carnivorous colonial traditions.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Xbox LIVE!

A decade of good games...

Everything that’s fun to do alone, is more fun to do with your friends. – Jason Jones, Bungie

Ten years ago, an upstart service known as Xbox LIVE came online for the very first time. At Bungie, we had a front row seat for the development of this emerging platform for online gaming, and our designers and engineers were already salivating over the prospect of getting our grubby little code-creating hands on it. They were no strangers to the absurd amounts of fun to be had on the internet, and they were dreaming of a day when our Xbox Halo players could connect, not just in their dorm rooms and living rooms, but through the magic of 1s and 0s in cyberspace.

Over the past ten years, Xbox LIVE has allowed me to keep in touch with my oldest friends while connecting me to a wealth of new ones. Despite the distance my life's travels have taken me, I continue to spend countless hours relaxing and playing games with my buddies as if we were just sitting on a couch next to each other.ncsuDuncan, NeoGAF

A full decade later, the Xbox LIVE Friends List has become all but ubiquitous among people who seek their thrills in multiplayer. Microsoft made magic. And if you’ll allow us to bang our little Bungie drum a bit, we weaved some of our own with a whole slew of features custom built for Halo 2 that eventually became part of the core Xbox LIVE experience.

Bungie's "Virtual Couch" allowed us to enjoy the Halo 2 LAN experience when a real LAN wasn't feasible. LAN play in Halo gave me a way to connect with friends that nothing that came before it provided. As we scattered to the winds, Xbox LIVE and Halo 2 gave us an opportunity to recapture that magic.Louis Wu, Founder, halo.bungie.org, Member AARP

There is a whole new generation of gamers on the grid who will never know of a time that existed before you could pull a teammate into a pregame lobby, or meet a friend for the first time on a virtual battlefield. As we look back on the launch of Xbox LIVE, we see the impact of this innovation in terms of the impact it’s had on the way we play games, and we thank Microsoft not only for the service, but for the opportunity to play a part in its success.

The first time I connected to Xbox Live was the moment after the midnight launch of Halo 2, where I picked up my Xbox console as well. Having such a simplistic way to compete online with such low latency was astounding. To this day, no one has topped what Xbox Live has become. For me, personally, Xbox Live was (and frankly still is) the easiest way to game with my friends, whether they're a few doors away, or a few miles.Dac, Community Manager, reddit

Today, this anniversary will be celebrated not just by us, but by an industry. Millions of games will be played tonight over Xbox LIVE. Thousands of prepubescent voices will ring out over your headset, and you will suddenly silence them.

At Bungie, we try to keep it a bit more personal, dare we say, intimate. Below you’ll find a collection of memories from our fans on Bungie.net. Give ‘em a good read. Then log onto Xbox LIVE and kick some online ass.

It's weird that the game I'm experiencing is being experienced simultaneously by others around the world at the same time, and that we can actually converse about it at the same time. As a gamer, it's made me appreciate the games more.Jacob Crawford, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE helped me have something in common with people in High School I normally wouldn't have talked to. It became a lot more social which helped me become more involved as I like the social interaction just as much as the games themselves.vanert, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE forced me to see that one can forge valuable friendships online. I finally found a core group of guys that I could play with. I started enjoying the experience more, and I can honestly say that some of the people I feel most comfortable talking to now are people I initially met on Xbox Live.Primo84, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE actually helped to make me more productive as a person, which is kind of strange in comparison to what you'd think. It was something to look forward to after a long day of work, and people I met motivated me to do what I do now in life.SpAmMer, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE was the one asset that allowed me to grow as a gamer. Before Xbox Live, I was a naive young gamer who only knew the basics of gaming. After Xbox Live, I was a young gamer who knew the ins and out of strategy and gameplay. Without Xbox Live, I wouldn't be the gamer I am today.EDOET, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE has allowed me to become more social around strangers, as well as give me the ability to sit down after a long day and unwind with some of the best friends I have ever had. I can also learn about the latest happenings in the gaming world and keep tabs on my favorite developers and publishers.Kretos, Member, Bungie.net

I got Xbox LIVE the month it came out many years ago. It changed my universe in a way. It let me talk to people from across the entire planet. It let me run and gun with some incredible people. I learned what was acceptable behavior. I learned how to interact with different cultures. I learned that my world was just a small part of huge universe. I was 14 at the time and for a 14 year old I think that level of worldwide interaction is incredible.EAGLES5, Member, Bungie.net

Playing games online has made me feel more connected to those around the globe. It's also changed the way I view games. Having played games competitively, I can honestly say it's made me more patient and far more team oriented. Anti Gov420, Member, Bungie.net

When I was in a time of my life when I was young and didn't know how to make friends, Xbox Live taught me how to do that. When I was in a time of my life when I was older and had made some good friends, Xbox Live helped me keep in touch with them as I moved across the country.Halo53, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE was really a whole new world for me. It didn't matter what time it was or what I felt like playing, there was always someone who wanted to play. I no longer had to wait for friends to come over to play with someone, and I could now play with a whole group of people not just four. I also didn't have to worry about brothers looking at my screen or playing on one fourth of a screen.me123456789, Member, Bungie.net

Xbox LIVE has introduced me to a world of people that I've grown to call my friends. Interactions beyond XBL have allowed me develop bonds with people that go beyond an XBL party. I've celebrated births and mourned the death of friends, shared laughs, had arguments, and have given and received a lot of valuable advice on life. To me, XBL is more than just a means of gaming, it's a means of life.chubbz, Member, Bungie.net

The crew at Official Xbox Magazine has dug deeper into the story of the people who created Xbox LIVE. Their account is on newsstands now. To look back on those developments through the eyes of Bungie veterans like Chris Butcher and Roger Wolfson, you should pay a visit to your local newsstand and check it out.

Breaking In - Drew Smith

Producing our message to the world...

Someday, Bungie will emerge from behind this self-imposed curtain of secrecy with wondrous tidings of an impending game. There will be thunderous announcements, introspective discussions about our creative process, and cryptic forecasts about the adventures that await you as the player. When we cross that glorious threshold, we’ll need to be organized enough to not trip all over ourselves. To keep us on our feet, we lured this fresh face into our midst…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

My name is Drew Smith. I’m a Producer charged with managing Marketing, PR, and the Writing Team. My goal here is to build out a schedule, facilitate communication with developers, manage the workflow for the narrative team, and to wrangle Pete Parsons.

Parsons defies the act of wrangling. He’s like vapor, seemingly everywhere at once - but enough about him. When you’re not attempting to control the weather in our world, what’s happening in yours?

Games, duh. I play lots of Dota 2, although a six-week break did not help my skills. I’ve been practicing Muay Thai for about a year and a half and I’m a pseudo-wine snob. I read books on astrophysics and The Economist on a regular basis, I do math for fun, I write, and I hoard like a dragon. I’m really trying to work on the hoarding part.

Don’t go changing on our account. Your compulsion to hold on to every little detail will only do you credit here. From what I’ve heard (when I eavesdrop on your conversations), you’ve been around the block of the video game industry. Tell us a little bit about the companies you used to hoard for before we invited you to join us at Bungie?

I spent seven years in different roles at Take-Two Interactive. I did everything from Marketing, Business Development, Publishing Production, and Development Production. Take-Two gave me the opportunity to work on some huge games/franchises (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, BioShock, Borderlands, Civilization, NBA). I also got to see the industry from multiple perspectives. It helped me build a good understanding of the needs, demands, and goals of each discipline.

You’ve climbed some serious mountains, and your resume is a reminder that this industry is not all art, design, and programming. It takes a few suits (that don’t actually wear suits) to put a game in the hands of a gamer. Were your ambitions always so business oriented?

When I was nine, aside from the obvious Astronaut/Scientist dreams, I sent two letters (one to Nintendo and one to Lego) asking for a job. They told me to apply when I got older.

So your adventure began. Of course, getting older is the easiest part of qualifying for a job making games. What else did you do to prepare yourself for this exciting career that led you to us?

I went to undergrad in NYC and majored in Economics. From there I started taking grad school classes in marketing, conflict resolution, storytelling, public speaking, string theory, and physics. Had I not been hired by Take-Two, I would have gone for an advanced degree of some sort. Economics is extremely useful in understanding trade, the market, monetary policy, and a basic understanding of how the world operates.

And string theory is good for understanding, well, everything! Although, that’s the first time anyone has ever mentioned it here. Was it your dabbling in theoretical sciences that enticed us to take a closer look at you?

I like to think it was my awesome list of prior experience, along with a few sprinkles of magical pixie dust.

We don’t believe in pixies, and dust is bad for the machines. It was the experience. Nevertheless, no one just skates into this place. Would you agree? What memories from your interview loop haunt your dreams?

Nine hours in a small room downstairs. Also, Matt Priestley is a hard guy to read.

Like playing poker with a cyborg, that one. I, on the other hand, wear my heart squarely on my sleeve. How would you describe the experience of being my newest and closest neighbor?

Pretty magical. I’ll be working and minding my own business and out of the corner of my eye I’ll see you look over and give a little nod as if to say, “Get back to work. This isn’t happy hour.” Then, I remind you that something on your schedule is overdue.

You mean like this weekly feature? The one that’s usually published two days ago? Fair enough. Aside from keeping me in check, what’s the most rewarding thing about your new home?

I’d say getting to work with an extremely talented team on groundbreaking stuff.

That’s far enough. We’re not in marketing mode yet. We still need to be vague about what’s going on around here, so just describe a day in the life of a Bungie newbie.

It’s chock’full’o’meetings (and potentially nuts as well).

Guilty as charged. There are enough nuts in this place to stock a snack bar. Speaking of which, what’s the best perk you enjoy as a member of our team?

So many good benefits. For me, the best is an instant feeling of camaraderie and appreciation.

Give it time. Someday, we’ll hassle you to tell us what you’ve learned since you showed up here. What will you do between now and then to have a snappy answer at the ready?

Aside from reaching out to my fellow Producers for tips, I’ll learn more about the challenges my teams face so that I can better support them. Learning about the way Bungie makes games has also inspired me to familiarize myself with the tools we use.

Your trek to the desk behind mine is one that many people might not have imagined. There’s a chance that one of our readers has poured over all these interviews looking for a way into this industry, only to lose heart that they aren’t an artist or a scientist. How can they follow your business acumen?

Be persistent and look for openings. Reach out to people you know. If you don’t know anyone, join the IGDA, go to GDC or use LinkedIn (people are willing to offer their advice and you never know what you might learn). There are a lot of jobs in the game industry so don’t be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone. If all else fails make something cool… or consider sending Deej flowers (he loves flowers).

I do not love flowers. In fact, I hate anything that cannot be delivered digitally.

What I love is exploring all of the many ways in which people find work doing something that they love. Drew is just one of the newer recruits that now walk our development floor. His freshman classmates are taking a seat in the Breaking In archive one by one.

The Best Mail Sack Ever

Can you spot the lie in the title?

Welcome to the best Mail Sack that has ever been published on Bungie.net in the very short history of this brand new tradition. You’ll be amazed at how different this Mail Sack is from the ones that have come before it. For starters, we invited our community to ask questions, and our team stepped forward to answer them.

If you think that sounds familiar, you’re right. Sorry for the lie, but we needed a theme. Fortunately, a lot of people at Bungie also swallowed the hook, so there are a lot of new friends (and some old favorites) to chat with below.

You know what's next. Let’s open the Sack.

The EAKLE What question could I ask to make this the best mail sack ever?

Hint: Not that one.

crawlingshadow9 What is your favorite part of your job?

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

Fame and Fortune!Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Getting presented with a crazy idea from our designers or client engineering team, and designing whole new services to support it. It is a ton of fun to work out the most efficient way to make our team’s dreams come true.Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Getting to see the things I make used throughout the studio.David Johnson, Engineer

Answering Mail sack questions.Alex Haraux, Engineer

It’s a toss-up between implementing an exciting new feature or fixing a nasty bug.Ben Litowitz, Engineer

The people. I get to work with some of the most talented people in the industry… and also DeeJ. Drew Smith, Producer

My desk! I’ve never had a desk so amazing in all my life. It holds all my things! (And I’m pretty sure it’s longer than I am tall). Jami Jeffcoat, Tech Designer

I love firefighting, which is probably unhealthy but it’s true. It produces pleasant brain chemicals.Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

My coworkers. You can have the most creative, highest paying job in the world and hate every minute of it if you don’t have a team that works well together.Troy McFarland, MoCap Lead

Seeing things I worked on in-game, and thinking “Dude! I helped make that!”Andrea Fonger, Engineer

Figuring out solutions to hard problems, and having those hard problems relate to how to make an awesome universe.Michael Strein, Engineer

Trolling the forums Interacting with fans. My line of work gets especially fast feedback, since I work on the primary way fans talk to us. I can’t imagine how we’d be Bungie without that connection.Tom “Achronos” Gioconda, Engineer

Seeing a finished cinematic for the first time in Jay's "magic chair" after we've handed it off to the Effects and Audio teams, and they've had their way with it. Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

coolmike699 What are the politics of gaming?

The politics of gaming are completely different from anything we saw in the news this week. As a gamer, you can wage a hard-fought campaign, only to be confronted by additional challenges that will take some strategic cooperation with your allies to overcome. You need to mobilize your base if you want to raise your flag. When a race is over, congratulations are always in order, no matter who wins. And, we gamers always need someone to watch our back. That’s what makes us so unique. I don’t think there is an elected official in the world that would be able to relate to any of those statements.

Kr1egerdude Why do you answer Mail Sack questions?

Why do you ask Mail Sack questions?Jay Thaler, Senior Engineer

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

Fame and Fortune!Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

I used to write my favorite game development companies when I was a lot younger, asking questions about games. I love that at Bungie, we actually take the time to answer.Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Because it’s my favorite part of my job.Alex Haraux, Engineer

I’ve never answered before, but this one was titled “The Best Mail Sack Ever!” so I figured I was required to respond. You’re welcome, internet.Jami Jeffcoat, Tech Designer

Notoriety…?Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Because I think I’m funny. Even if no one else laughs, I crack myself up, and I tell myself that is what really counts.Andrea Fonger, Engineer

Because “The DeeJ” has compromising information on me and he’ll release it to the masses if I don’t. Damn you, Facebook!!Troy McFarland, MoCap Lead

To paint a picture in all your minds of what is REALLY happening here. You can always count on me to be honest and truthful. DeeJ, when are you gonna run the story about the new fire pole that leads down into the test lab?Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

As soon as you let me sit in this magic chair you’re always talking about.

Captain Scurvy Would the Bungie office make a great place to play hide and seek?

Since none of us have an office, the studio that we share would make a terrible place to play hide and seek. We don’t make great games by keeping secrets from one another, so there is no place to hide. The whole development floor is wide open. You can hide under your desk, but anyone with hands and knees would be able to find you with a quick scan. Every conference room is concealed by a completely transparent glass wall, so you’re dead meat if you try to take cover in there, too.

CoRaMo What is your favorite ship (real or fictional, space or sea)?

Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Alex Haraux, Engineer

Drew Smith, Producer

Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Andrea Fonger, Engineer

Austin Spafford, Engineer

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

Roger Wolfson, Theoretical Physicist

Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I used to work on these in middle school in my Grandpa’s workshop.Troy McFarland, MoCap Lead

Everyone has their own solution. What works for me is to pretend that the person I’m dealing with over the Internet is right there in the room with me. And that person is Mike Tyson. And Mike Tyson just happens to be holding a shotgun with a freshly-oiled trigger assembly. If it’s a woman, just substitute with Angela Bassett. I let that delicate scenario inform my behavior. Ever since I discovered this roleplay, my participation in flame wars and post-game lobby trash-talking has decreased dramatically.

sacktapped Who would you like to fist fight?

The rich and famous.Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

I’m going to go with Ke$ha. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like her music. The way I imagine it, once we’re done fighting we could laugh it off, drink whiskey ‘till our wounds don’t hurt anymore, and become best friends forever. The end.Jami Jeffcoat, Tech Designer

Can I fight a car, like in the bonus rounds of street fighter?Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

In my early grades, I had to do a project based on the book Old Yeller, and ended up writing a program that printed out an ascii dog. The ability to make the computer do something was so amazing that I started on my path right then.
Michael Williams, Senior Engineer

For a long time I wanted to be a teacher, but in high school I realized that computer programming was something I really loved to do (and was reasonably good at), and so I decided to pursue that instead.
David Johnson, Engineer

Ten years ago. However, I did waver and take a break from game development for two or three years in the middle. Because of that break, I know that no matter what comes along, I will not be tempted away again.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Probably about twelve years ago now. It was either this or marine biology. Frankly, I didn't want to go to school for nine years for the latter.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

I tried to apply for President of the Universe, but the position was already filled.
Alex Haraux, Engineer

I realized I wanted to make games when I was 17, or so. I wanted to mix technical and artistic skills to make something fun and awesome. As an only child in an overly protective family, video games practically raised me. I just wanna give something back. (/awww)
Jami Jeffcoat, Tech Designer

I knew I wanted to be a writer from birth. Or, at least from the time I learned to write.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

In my junior year of college, I discovered that programming was much more fun than physics research. In the summer after my senior year in college, I did an internship at EA and fell in love with the game industry. There’s just something special about working with a bunch of fellow game nerds.
Andrea Fonger, Engineer

Generally, I knew I was doing programming as a career by the time I was in the fourth grade, and server engineering by high school.
Tom “Achronos” Gioconda, Engineer

My freshman year of college. I took my first programming course and loved it. It also helped that I was pretty good at it too.
Michael Strein, Engineer

1996. I got an impromptu interview with Dynamix, who said they weren’t hiring when I contacted them. I asked for a tour of their studio, and brought my resume and portfolio anyway. They gave me a job as a Photoshop retoucher of prerendered images (for Rama). I’ve been in the games industry ever since.
Troy McFarland, MoCap Lead

I know what you’re thinking, but this only works once in a lifetime. Visiting our careers page and following instructions is a far better tactic than gatecrashing our studio with your book under your arm.

Xd00999 Do employees ever look to these forums for inspiration?

This is certainly a great place to browse when we need a reminder for how to be patient.

mark117 mia2553 Besides the Mail Sacks do you have any other duties at Bungie?

Yes I do. Thank you for asking.

joe campbell What are some questions that people haven't asked already?

No one has asked about the game that we’re working on. What’s up with that? Don’t any of you even care?

My Father. He was a journeyman mechanic and has a degree in electronics. He could fix anything without biological parts, and he was the kindest, and funniest, most intelligent man I have ever known.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Ferenc van der Sluijs.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Chris Metzen.
Alex Haraux, Engineer

Ferris Bueller (oh man… I suddenly feel old).
Drew Smith, Producer

My 5th grade teacher, who taught me a lot about how being a geek should be celebrated, not hidden. Jocks run the playground, but geeks rule the world.
Tom “Achronos” Gioconda, Engineer

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

AxJARxOFxDIRT Are you tired of Halo related questions?

“Not yet…” –John, 117

It’s exciting to see a new adventure for the Master Chief, even if we’re not at the helm. Bungie will never forget Halo. That series of games will always be a cherished part of our heritage as a studio, even if we have moved on. We’re proud of what we created in that universe, and it’s an honor to see that people still want to explore it. Plus, until we give you something new to talk about, and we will, it’s perfectly logical that our conversations will turn to Halo. There are people who still pop up on Twitter to reminisce about Myth or Marathon or ONI.

“The job.” Is that what the kids refer to it as these days?
Rick Lico, Senior Art Lead

It is all about Fame and Fortune!
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

I have been testing this hypothesis lately; the sample size has been small, but thus far the results are not promising.
Ben Litowitz, Engineer

It’s not the job they dig, it’s that look I give em.
Veara Suon, Artist

They dig the passion and the cornrows.
Drew Smith, Producer

Yes, I definitely dig my job! Wait a minute…
Andrea Fonger, Engineer

I love the job! I’m sure the other fine ladies working here do too. And there’s never a line for the bathroom.
Jami Jeffcoat, Tech Designer

Nope.
Michael Strein, Engineer

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! No. Not at all.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

John Stvan, Graphic Designer

Remorazz Today during lunch, some guy traded a game with one of my friends who sits at my table. He was wearing this shirt. Do you think he is member of Bungie.net? Should I seek him out?

Looks like you found yourself a Bungie Beta tester. Just imagine what he knows! The lure of information can be tantalizing, but I do not suggest that you not approach him. The punishment for betraying our trust can be messy and indiscriminant.

Disambiguation Being one of the few who had an opportunity to venture inside your studio earlier this evening, I have to ask: Does that NES in your rec room actually work, and what games do you guys play on it?

Hylebos Wait, what?

We got another Bungie Beta tester, and this one is talking! Stand back, Hylebos. Cybernetic Attack Wolves have been dispatched to his location to sweep and clear, and they don’t stand down until they're certain that the rumor has been contained. There’s no escape, Disambiguation. They can follow the scent you left on your chair in our lab across state lines and bodies of water.

Diseased Moto It's no secret that the best thing about a secret is secretly telling someone your secret, therefor adding another secret to their secret collection of secrets, secretly.

Telling a secret isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Having a secret. At least, that’s what I tell myself whenever I think about tweeting concept art.

Don’t go rushing off to our Twitter feed, now. It’s secure, as evidenced by the fact that I am still here to publish this article – the very best Mail Sack in the history of mail and sacks. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. If you think we can do better, you’ll have another crack at the letter box on Monday. Until then, keep your hands out of the Swedish fish.

Breaking In - Adam Brown

Coding on the go...

Bungie.net can reach you wherever life finds you. There is no escaping our charms! Which device is it that’s enabling us to share a small piece of our world with you? You could be nestled into a comfy chair in front of your favorite computer, or propped up work pretending to look busy. If you find yourself on the go, sampling some Bungie culture right from the palm of your hand, you can thank gentlemen like this…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

My name is Adam Brown and I do mobile development at Bungie (that means iOS and Android). I’m looking forward to getting some awesome apps out there for everyone to better communicate through Bungie.net!

It would be very hard to sustain a community without the means for communication, so we appreciate your work. What do you do with your life when you’re not building bridges between the passionate players of our games?

I love hacking on all sorts of quirky projects outside of work: hardware, software, Arduino, whatever comes to mind. When I do manage to get away from the digital world, I love backpacking, camping, sailing, whatever outdoor adventure I can think of.

It’s great that you take a break from all that serious coding to channel your inner-child. Speaking of childhood, when outdoor adventures were your only responsibility, what did you foresee as your grown-up occupation?

Train Conductor. Not Superman, or an astronaut, but a Train Conductor. I was really shooting for the stars. After that, it was always a Software Engineer. I started modding games and making maps for Half-Life, and began to get the idea that I might like making games.

Someone needs to make sure the trains run on time! Once you had found the right track for you, how did you prepare yourself to steam into the station?

I got a Computer Science degree, and I get to use it every day! The theory matters too, kiddos!

What were some of the experiments that you conducted as a Computer Scientist before you joined us in the Bungie lab?

I actually had a pretty wide range of programing jobs before this. For my first job out of college, I worked at a tiny game company where I was the main programmer. I wrote the engine and game code. It was a huge learning experience, but the company went out of business after shipping our first game. I went on to do front-end web programming for monster.com. It turns out I’m not a fan of big corporate environments. Who knew? Later, I did low-level programming for DirecTV set top boxes. Finally, I began doing some consulting making Android apps for companies. That is ultimately what brought me to Bungie, so I guess it all worked out!

Slow down, now. You make it sound like joining the Bungie team is easy. Let’s back up and relive your interview loop to appropriately strike terror into the hearts of would-be applicants.

There was a phone screen first, so I guess said something right. The final interview is fairly long and intensive, and you keep having these minor freak outs in your head: “Holy crap, I’m sitting in Bungie’s office and the guy talking to me worked on Halo. Crap what did he say while I was thinking this?” It still seems a bit surreal that I work here.

You’re here alright. This is not a dream. What’s the most rewarding thing about this surreal existence?

It’s honestly hard to pick. As a Software Engineer, I have to say Bungie’s dedication to software quality, the fact that they really care and want to take the time to do things right, is a breath of fresh air after coming from other development houses where the software is just a means to an end.

We do a lot of other things to keep you content and banging out quality code at Bungie that have nothing to do with software. Which of those perks make you the happiest?

There is a cabinet in the kitchen just labeled: Meat.

We keep it stocked just for jerks like you (pun intended). How does a delicious dose of salted meat factor into your daily routine?

I stroll in around 9AM. Never did I think that getting in just after 9 would make me the “early guy” on the team, but here it does. I scan over reddit quickly (you know, just to check and see if there’s Bungie news). Then I get down to business! My team leader does a pretty great job of keeping distractions and bureaucracy away from us, so I probably get more actual programming done at this job than anywhere I’ve worked before. When lunchtime comes around, we usually go grab some take-out and come back to the studio to eat and play Magic: The Gathering. Post lunch is a medley of programming and deciding which beef jerky to try from the Meat cabinet. It’s a veritable nerd paradise.

Oh, man, you’re one of those Magic geeks? In that case, tell us about the time you cast your favorite spell at Bungie.

I was prototyping some features in an app and testing them on a tablet. A producer who was looking over my shoulder cut in with “You have a cool job, that looks awesome.” I thought to myself, “Yes I do.”

Having a cool job isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Getting better and better at doing that cool job all the time. How do you make that happen?

It helps that I love what I do. I’m always reading articles about new things in software development and working on little side projects to try out new ideas.

Imagine if you will that your tale of programming and magic has inspired someone to become your apprentice. What wisdom would you share with them?

Play games, work hard! Playing games is as much about keeping up with the state of the industry as it is a cultural fit. And work hard, because making games is hard work!

And you have some hard work that demands your attention, so we’ll wrap up this chat and return you to the trenches. Before you go, please stack this deck in order of importance to your role: Experience, Work Ethic, and Talent.

Hard to rank ‘em, but: Experience, Work Ethic, Talent. Experience because Mobile development is still the Wild West, so there are some really strange bugs that you can only solve from having seen them before. Work Ethic, because Bungie is ambitious! And of course, Talent is always an important base to build your experience.

Mobile development is just one frontier that we’re exploring at Bungie. Prospectors of every variety are being lured west on our careers page. To learn more about the different types of precious metals in our hills, you can check out the Breaking In archive.

The Mail Sack Has a Secret

And it will never tell...

Let’s say that you have a secret to keep. It’s a really good secret, and you like the people that you want to tell it to. But you know that if you tell that secret, you’ll end up hurting a lot of people who have placed in you their trust. That’s what managing the Bungie Community can be like. It’s not all twitter updates and forum games. Every day is fraught with temptation.

Clearly! Just think about you feel when you see the first person who manages to reply to something on the Internet. Don’t you just well up with admiration? Don’t you imagine them as someone who knows things and is going places?

Try What motivates you to do a good job?

David Shaw, Senior Producer

Smiles and laughs.
Austin Spafford, Engineer

First, I love programming, like, a little too much. Second, it’s awesome being part of a team working on a crazy cool project. You don’t want to let the rest of the team down!
Adam Brown, Engineer

Knowing that my work is eagerly awaited by millions of people worldwide is a pretty strong motivator to not muck things up.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

The chance to do the best version of my job that's ever been done in the history of mankind.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

Working in an industry I’ve always admired and with people that are insanely talented and smart.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Seeing the awesome work being done by people around me.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

A sense of ownership, and getting to work on amazing projects. If you’re going to put yourself out there, make sure you go full ass.
Drew Smith, Producer

Knowing any failures during development will be forever immortalized by relentless, clever fans. Just kidding — you guys are astounding, but it’s as simple as having personal standards. If the best is possible, why not make it happen?
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

I love what I do for a living, but there’s also a ton of stuff I absolutely don’t want to do for a living. You know the guy who runs around at the rodeo to distract the pissed off bull, risking great personal injury or even his life? I couldn’t do that. Fear of becoming a rodeo clown and getting trampled motivates me to try my hardest at making video games.
James Tsai, Senior Designer

CTN 0452 9 Has Bungie ever had a flash mob?

Do launch events for games count? How about Holiday parties? Or the lunch hour? There are times when the lot of us moves as a herd to one destination or another. We drink the rivers dry. Our arrows block out the sun. Or is that just the Seattle sky?

OfTheBloodguard If it came down to it, could you trust your Bungie brethren with your lives?

Of course…
Drew Smith, Producer

I've travelled to the ends of the world with some and even given/received rides to the hospital with others. So, yes!
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Depends on whether or not the coffee machine was working that day.
James Tsai, Senior Designer

I’d like to think so, but we really won’t know the answer to that question until the Zombie Apocalypse.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Yes. All except for John Shaffstall. He’s a pair of aviator sun glasses away from being the Unabomber.
Adam Brown, Engineer

I know DeeJ would take a bullet for me. Wouldn’t you DeeJ?
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

Editor’s Note: Sure, but only in a game. I don’t respond well to bullets.

T1B3R7uMB0YXVI How do you define "Off Task" at Bungie?

I’m just putting this here to troll Derek Carroll, who seems to find a way to work this image into almost all of the Sacks. Let’s see if he notices…

Kr1egerdude “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't.” -Bill Nye
What do you know that makes you unique?

If I told everyone, I won’t be unique anymore!
Cameron Pinard, Artist

I know how Ninja Gaiden Black ended.
Drew Smith, Producer

My earwax smells different than anyone else’s. And the right ear is a different fragrance than the left. Dogs and cats always seem to lick at my right ear, but they leave the left one alone.
James Tsai, Senior Designer

I know what it feels like to have your upper jaw cut in half! It’s pretty neat.
Cale Haskell, Engineer

Through trade negotiations, I acquired the ideal method of grilling corn on the cob, which I will share with you (not really).
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

I have an intimate understanding of the facial features and mannerisms of more people than I’m comfortable to admit.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Old telephones used to have a built in magneto that was used to power the other end's bells.
Austin Spafford, Engineer

I know how to gut and replace the head (aka: toilet) in a sail boat. It was a smelly experience that I try not to think about.
Adam Brown, Engineer

Did you really honor the Bungie.net Webmaster in costume form for Halloween? If so, you simply must share with us. In fact, that just became the Halloween challenge for next year. We will send an army of jetpacked gorillas into the world, and see if the world notices.

BC1096 What’s your favorite part of History?

I like the H. It’s a strong letter and provides good anchoring by towering over the rest of the word.
Cale Haskell, Engineer

The European Renaissance has some of the best stories.
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

Yesterday.
Drew Smith, Producer

Recently, I’ve become interested in the modern era, 1700s - mid 1900s. Though, it’s still not as cool as dinosaurs.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

The early 17th century, when all the good rapier manuals were written.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

I’m a U.S. Civil War buff in particular, but I’d say that’s more the part of history that’s most interesting to me rather than being my favorite. My favorite part of history would definitely be my birth because, you know, that kind of needed to happen for me to do anything. Not coincidentally, my birth is often listed as many other people’s least favorite part of history.
James Tsai, Senior Designer

Roman Empire.
Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

Austin Spafford, Engineer

pureXownage Will we here about the new universe before the end of the year?

It’s 2012. Haven’t you heard? If the Mayans are to be believed (and why wouldn’t they?) you won’t make it to the end of the year. Sorry. And we could have had such fun together.

DE4THINC4RN4TE You have to create a brand new word for the English language. It must be ridiculously hilarious. What is it, what does it mean, how is it pronounced?

Flominate (verb) flom-en-ate: The act of belching near someone unintentionally and then refusing to acknowledge it
Drew Smith, Producer

Hurrication (noun) her-uh-kay-shun: A vacation caused by a hurricane knocking power out at work.
Adam Brown, Engineer

mvyorkie009 What is Bungie’s favorite colored monopoly property to buy and why?

We like ‘Community Chest.’ It can’t be bought, and you never know what you’re gonna get.

thenewxegk Will my questions ever get answered again?

Not when they’re this self-referential. Try to ask a question that would make everyone happy.

welder1stdegree Which music group would you most like to see reunited for a one time only performance?

A tough one, but I’d probably have to go with The Beatles.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

Joy Division.
Drew Smith, Producer

The Ramones.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

Infinite Outcast I aspire to go into cinematography. Preferably video or film editing. I also aspire to work for Bungie someday. Is there any possible way those two could intersect and coexist? If so, is there anything that anyone at Bungie could suggest to help me achieve my aspirations?

There’s nothing we would suggest that this guy hasn’t already suggested. Do you read the Breaking In interviews? If you want to work for Bungie, you really should. It’s a weekly arm-twisting ritual around these parts. “The Community Forum is a really nice place now,” I tell them. “The Facebook comments aren’t that bad,” I tell them – which can be a total lie, but I digress. Many brave developers have ascended to the blog lectern to tell the story about their rise to power as a Bungie Employee. There is a tale of fear and loathing in the interview loop that appeals to every skillset known to our creative process: mathematicians, artists, coders, riggers, lawyers, painters, cappers, writers, waistoids, motorheads…

Krimm117 What is your favorite moment, mechanic, or feature of any game you've helped create?

Bah! This is like picking your favorite kid. That said, I think I still have a soft spot for the Halo 3 flag.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

The debug artwork for the Guild Wars vanquisher-progress buff. For a short time, it was a stick-figure "doom guy" face, complete with paranoid left-right glances and grinning after kills.
Austin Spafford, Engineer

Back in Halo 3, there was a glorious week and a half where the mongoose had a jump button (RB)—sort of like Speed Racer but much more believable. I had tons of fun with fellow testers on Sandtrap, just driving the thing around, jumping over obstacles, and smashing into each other. Sadly, it was cut for engineering reasons. I’ve been crushed ever since.
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

Creating music and voice-over for game jam games I have worked on (so fun).
Drew Smith, Producer

Either the Brute fight scene on the rooftops in Halo 3: ODST or making people watch themselves meet their end in the closing cinematic of Reach.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

I'm quite fond of the gradually improving models of motorcycles in Trials. It was a really elegant, intuitive solution to how to increase controller sensitivity over the course of the game.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

I worked on a video game inspired version of The Punisher that came out around the same time as the 2004 movie, but based on a different storyline with different characters. We had a mechanic where players directly controlled some brutal interrogation scenes; my favorite was one was where you held a guy over a woodchipper and forced him into it by “shoving” him with the analog stick. The guy resisted through controller vibrations and on-screen animations until his inevitable, gruesome, bloody death. Eventually we had to scale back the visuals and the graphic nature of a lot of what we originally created to avoid getting an “Adults Only” rating, but the original versions that were in early demos were a hit with press and fans. After reading back this answer, I feel like I need to add a disclaimer that I’m a well-adjusted person that doesn’t kick puppies.
James Tsai, Senior Designer

I’m actually pretty new to the game industry. I only worked on one commercial title before coming to Bungie. But I did make a lot of maps for Half-Life which still hold a special place in my mind. A map I’m particularly fond of forced the player to crawl through a vent while things were blowing up, and each grate they passed they could look out and see a cataclysmic event killing another scientist. I had a lot of fun finding new and interesting ways to kill those scientists. I’m sure my future therapist will love talking about this.
Adam Brown, Engineer

I was co-combat designer and animation lead for Condemned 2 at my former employer. One of the enemy AI you encountered in that game was a twisted, 2-headed, self-conflicted, motherly baby-doll who was alive during one of the stranger levels. As a burly, violence-wielding ex-cop, fighting them wasn't very satisfying gameplay so we decided to try and turn them into playable weapons as well as enemy AI. If you kicked the enemy doll, it would stun it, allowing you to pick it up.

Since C2 was all about using anything you find in your environment as a weapon, it was a great opportunity to have this spooky baby doll judge your actions while you wield it as a weapon. The best part was the move-set. We needed melee attacks, of course, which meant swinging the doll violently at other enemies. I animated the doll in the player's hands to look like it was having fun on this ride, like a little girl squealing as daddy swings her around in a grassy field on a summer day.

We also needed a block for incoming attacks, which would anger the doll. If you blocked with the baby, the second head (shoulder head) would turn in an effort to see what was going to hit it. The protective other head, who had control over the arm, would turn the shoulder head back gently, and shame it for being curious. Like I said earlier, she's motherly. If you managed to successfully block an attack with baby, she would be furious, and punch you for being so mean to her. To this day, I don't know of any other game that punishes you in such an entertaining way for being successful with the combat mechanics. Twisted psychological horror games are fun to design!
Rick Lico, Senior Art Lead

CoRaMo I challenge you to a duel... to the death! What weapons will we be using?

I accept your challenge! And, thank you for letting me (and not Rick Lico) choose the weapons. That was most sporting of you. Let’s see, now…

You’ll be using this.

I’ll be using this.

Good luck to you!

Disclaimer: Bungie would never actually shoot any of the gamers in their community. There are a few that we might like to silence with duct tape for an hour or two, but an assault with heavy weaponry is just not our style – at least not in real life. If you’re taking anything in this Mail Sack seriously, the joke is completely on you, Internet.

the real Janaka What series are you guys into right now, and why?

Link to the Past, because I received a Zelda shirt for my birthday.
Austin Spafford, Engineer

The League, Parks and Recreation, and Sons of Anarchy. I’m also really stoked for new Sherlock and Doctor Who.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

30 Rock, because I finished Walking Dead Season 2 on Netflix.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

Top Gear. Why was I not watching this years ago?
Drew Smith, Producer

I am making my way through Twin Peaks once again.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

The Flashman series by George McDonald Fraiser. He's like an evil Forrest Gump.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

The Inbetweeners, Key and Peel, and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, because they make me laugh like a 50’s comic book villain.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I know I’m late to the party, but I just started watching The Big Bang Theory. Reminds me of some of my friends. Not the genius part, just the insufferable nerd arguments.
Adam Brown, Engineer

Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

crawlingshadow9 I've seen Bungie Employees on the Forums with custom titles, like "Sent West" and "still hates toast.” I've also seen some without that, just "Bungie Employee." Why is that?

Uhhhhhhhhhh… In searching my imagination high and low for a sarcastic answer to this question, I have come up dry. It’s a first. Instead, I’m gonna go for broke and be honest, and see if my response clears the censors. Here goes: We ran out of room in the database for custom titles. It’s a problem that will be fixed by Bungie.next.

Mythical Wolf Recommend a game to me.

I love horror games, so I’m gonna have to go with Penumbra: Overture. It’s one of the best indie games I’ve played.
Adam Brown, Engineer

Austin Spafford, Engineer

Picross 3D on the Nintendo DS, if you like puzzles, numbers, and three-dimensional perspective.
Ben Wommack, Production Engineer

Checkers. As for the digital variety, when I get time, I’ve been enjoying Mark of the Ninja.
Cameron Pinard, Artist

Phoenix2640 What is Bungie doing on Halloween?
YodasCurd Show us your Halloween costumes. We all know you wore one.
mark117 mia2553 Who had the scariest costume in Bungie Studios this Halloween?

One at a time. Please! All of your questions can be answered here. You can even select the winner of the Community Edition of our Costume Contest. We chose our own champion for All Saint’s Day - and we’ll never tell.

GrandmasterNinja I always wondered...what if we ALL decided to NOT ask a question?

If that were to happen, I would just assume that no one was visiting the website anymore and start deleting accounts – starting with the oldest. It sure would be nice to clean house of all this dead Mythic weight.

But that isn’t going to happen. Is it? Because you will ALL be back here on Monday to taunt us with another volley of questions. Failure to do so would be foolish, Bungie Community. Your virtual existence on website depends on it. You thought this Q/A session was just fun and games. Didn’t you? It started out that way, but it’s mutated into something more dangerous now.

Breaking In - Forrest Söderlind

A character among characters...

Happy Halloween! As people bring ghastly characters to life with their costumes and decorations, we’d like to introduce you to a member of the Bungie Team who does this every day in the games that we make. For this artist, realizing our worst fears is all part of the business…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

I am Forrest Söderlind. The title on my card reads (lambda x: x if type(x) is ‘rigger’ else x=’tech_artist’), but most people know me as a Technical Artist. My job is to create deformation skeletons, control rigs, skin weights, and tools for the animation and cinematics teams. What this means is that when you see the characters moving around in the game world and the cinematics, I played a part in making it so they are alive and how they look as they move.

Before we learn what it takes to give life to these characters, let’s talk about real life. What are your interests outside of work?

What is this ‘outside of work’ you speak of? Actually, I’m really busy outside of work as well. I’m into death metal, black metal, grindcore metal, thrash metal, speed metal, doom metal, power metal, industrial metal, djent metal, and showtunes. I kid, I kid - I’m not that much into doom metal, but I’ll enjoy it occasionally.

When I’m not listening to music, I’m usually found learning a language. This month’s language focus has been C#. I’ve also done some world travelling and we’re aiming to hit all continents. So far, we’ve hit North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Only three left… then it’s time for space! Oh, and I was in a metal band, unsurprisingly, and still make music today of a more glitch nature (still sounds like metal where appropriate).

Are you sure you’re in the right place? It sounds as if you may have wanted to be a rock star when you grew up.

Do we ever really grow up? Philosophical, snarky answers aside; I’ve known that I’ve wanted to work in video games since my family first owned a Commodore64. I have some art skills and some technical skills, so a mashup of both is a perfect fit for me. From then on, it’s been lots of research and development (c’mon, Mom, just one more level?!), drawing, painting, and programming. Actually, when I was a kid, I did see a glimpse of me working on a flux capacitor sometime in the future…

You were wise to settle for more practical aspirations, as we can make games without the burden of generating 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. Has your entire career focused on Technical Art?

I’ve worn many hats throughout my career, including tech support, software support, hardware support, computer building/repair, and game testing. I’ve played a lot of other video games, on console, portable, and PC – my favorite portable system is the Virtual Boy. A Technical Artist is part support, part content and my experiences enable me to assist in a wide variety of tasks, when necessary.

Wearing many hats requires a big head filled with all kinds of knowledge. How did you learn all the things you would need to do this job for Bungie?

I have an AAA in Programming, an AAA in Computer Animation, and a BFA in Production Animation. I use all of the skills I learned in school just about every day. I also learned how to work with other people since, largely up to that point, I was focused on solo projects. In each school, video games were relatively untaught, so I studied short and feature films. Today, there are more options for training in games, but curriculum quality is still being worked out in many schools. There’s much to be gleaned from film about storytelling, character design, environment design, and character development. All of this is transferred into games (hopefully) and blended seamlessly (hopefully) for players to enjoy. A great game will immerse you without you even knowing.

Your hope is a beacon in the night for students who are about to embark on their own adventure. Once your schooling was complete, how did you infiltrate our studio?

I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude. I was part of a couple local meetings and lunches that my current team members also attended and we just got excited talking about the same sort of ideas. We’re definitely on the same wavelength, with the same goals in mind. Also, my appearance is hard to forget. I have a clearly defined silhouette (Character Design Lesson #1, kids).

It sounds like the introduction was like a first date. Was the interview as much of a love affair?

The hardest part was figuring when to stop discussing cool ideas and plans for the future with everyone. Also, the interview room had no windows and my retina UI was disabled on the way in, so I didn’t have any reference for the time that passed. It seemed like the first three months of the interview went by so quickly, that the next three months started without being aware that time had actually progressed. The next few months of the interview were fairly grueling, but once I foraged for food, fresh water, and a razor, I was equipped to handle the oncoming interview years.

(Disclaimer: Forest is exaggerating for effect. The Bungie Interview loop lasts a standard Earth day – but can feel much longer.) What is the reward for all those years of struggle?

The most rewarding thing is working with an esteemed group of people on a fantastic project every single day. It is just amazing to see all the characters coming to life and running around in the world. The feeling that our cinematics give is just breathtaking to me. We make games that we want to play, have fun doing it, and that is very exciting for me.

What does that mean in the course of one day?

After battling several bears and wolves on the way to work, I hit the gym. Sometimes I’ll eat a steak or two before the gym, depending on how many bears I’ve beaten. Then, I’ll have two more steaks to prepare for work. I’ll usually get the latest build, meet up with some of the other tech artists for steak, and discuss the plans for world domination. Then we’ll move on to building a character skeleton or two with our bare hands and checking for animator or artist tool needs. If there are bugs in our tools, we’ll fix those, while fighting off wolverines. After lunch, which is usually a couple of steaks, wrapped in steak, we’ll check out some character designs and plan out upcoming skinning or weighting work. Sometimes, we’ll need to update characters or control rigs, so those are usually longer processes, spanning a couple days. We’ll finish off the day with a nice steak, and sometimes a steak wrapped in bacon to help balance out all the other steaks.

If you’re not going to take this seriously, no one is gonna learn a thing. Please name, as sincerely as you can, you favorite perk as a Bungie Employee. You may only use the word “steak” once.

My favorite perk is definitely the gym membership, so I can be fit for the Zombie Apocalypse. I go every day, and sometimes eat a steak there. It’s vital to have some sort of physical exercise since most of us lead a rather sedentary lifestyle.

But we accomplish so much from that sedentary posture! Among all of your accomplishments at Bungie, which one stands out in your memory as the highlight of all that sitting around?

While I was learning how the vehicle system in Reach worked, I made a test vehicle using a skateboard. I set up a shredder animation set with ollies, airwalks, street plants, ollie finger flips, heelflips, impossibles, kickflips, etc. While it was pretty sweet, there wasn’t enough memory to support the extra vehicle in game. Using our carefully handcrafted tools, I transferred the animation to the Mule character (the giant beast that the Covenant were attempting to wrangle), doing the same tricks on more appropriately-sized Warthog. That was also pretty badass and we tried to find a place to jam it into memory. Sadly, it never made it onto the disc.

It’s just as well. Skateboards have never fared well in battle. With the obvious exclusion of pushing the boundaries for combat vehicles, how have you been able to expand on our skills working at Bungie?

I’m always working on little home projects, trying out different animation controllers in other engines, or testing out MIDI interface devices for DJ software and/or game engines. I never waste my commuting time and always have my laptop active while riding the bus, working on game prototypes or creating music. See other interests for more details.

Aside from sitting next to you on a bus, is there anything you would recommend that hopeful developers do to learn more about our corner of the industry?

Keep working on projects, whether it’s art content, audio, or programming. Find a small team to work with and finish the project. Keep scope small and achievable. Lots of projects get started, but very few are finished. Work on mods, level packs, game prototypes, short films, and anything that will show the skills that you can bring to the table. Playable demos and videos are great. We need to see what you can do, rather than just hear about it.

Get to know people in the industry – attended GDC, Siggraph, E3, etc. The more people in the industry that get to know you, the more they’ll think of you if they’re looking for an engineer or a modeler (or whatever your specialty is). Forums are also a great way to get involved, but be polite and people will respect you back. Ask questions pertaining to your projects and offer good advice to those asking for it.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Forrest. Before we return you to the characters that need rigging, please sort these virtues for us: Experience, Work Ethic, or Talent? Rank them in order of importance to your role.

I’ve found a better metric that seems to fit. I show my Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent at all times. That being said, while it’s good to have a balance of all of them, Nerve and Experience are key to my role as it’s important to not be afraid to try things out, while keeping in mind the things that didn’t work in the past. It’s also important to be Flexible and Evolve to develop better workflows and tools that continually improve. I include Charisma since a large part of my job is support for animation and cinematics and it’s crucial to be approachable when dealing with some very complex issues that happen when making a game and have Patience in order to come up with solutions and explain them. Work Ethic is also important, and very imperative to know when to stop working, go home, get some rest, and come back the next day refreshed and ready to dive in again.

Forrest is obviously a character in his own world, and his world is a stage for his own show. We wouldn’t have it any other way at Bungie. As a bonus for this Halloween Edition of the Breaking In series, we give you a startling visage from his time spent next door, enjoying his favorite perk. Metal enthusiasts call that corpse painting - the perfect accessory for some dead lifting. We call it just another day at the office.

Trick or Mail Sack

Bungie's fire and cauldron bubble...

The witching hour is upon us. As the skies darken to a foreboding shade of grey, and the trees flourish with every color found in a flame, our studio is being readied to welcome trick-or-treaters. Don’t take that as an invitation to knock on our door dressed in costume. We only have enough candy for the good little boys and girls who have parents that work here. We’ll be sure to give you glimpse of our masquerade ball, though.

Sgt Bash X77 Do you play some games by other developers just to get inspiration for your new project, and do you see it as work so you can make your new project better?

We play all kinds of games. Almost all of what we play is for the sake of leisure. While we draw some inspiration from experiences that other developers create, we value our game time far too much to treat it like homework.

I love RPGs, as certain dark things are to be loved.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

RPGs and FPSs.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

MMOs.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

CrazzySnipe55 Do you subscribe to the ideology that a game development company puts things into their game just to elicit an emotional reaction?

Is there any other reason to put something in a game? Even elements that are designed to inform, guide, taunt, or provide feedback to the player can elicit (or even suppress) a reaction. Some of the things we put into our games are there to prevent you from experiencing emotions like frustration, boredom, or rage. Not only do these design tactics keep the player properly entertained, but deliberately provoking an emotional response makes it much easier for us to identify and retire the Replicants in our player base.

By the way, CrazzySnipe55, you're in a desert, walking along in the sand, when all of a sudden you look down and see a tortoise...

MightyMarcher01 What is the your favorite picture on the internet?

The whole Internet? Thanks for narrowing it down for us.

Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Derek Carroll, Cake-Loving Photo-bomber

Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Michael Strein, Engineer

Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer

MozzarellaMonky When you start a new project, do you take ideas from the entire studio?

Yes we do! Our studio is a totally open environment where everyone is welcome and encouraged to have an opinion. This doesn’t mean that all these ideas are regarded as “good” by the designers who make the final decisions. For example: I’m getting a lot of pushback on my request to have invincible avatars for Bungie Employees who play our next game. The outlook at current is not good (ask again later).

On the subject of taking ideas from the entire studio, let’s see how well that decision-making process works out for this guy…

Captain Scurvy Will you name my new dog for me?

I always thought that Cobalt Nova would be a cool name for a loyal companion. How about you, Panel?

Dog.
Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer

Wind.
Mark Flieg, Artist

Your Mom. Think about the amazing conversations. “I think Your Mom missed me today, I came home and she had completely shredded the couch.” This name is completely acceptable for a male dog as well.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Dolly! If you need a steak bone chewed on, or a carpet freshly pooped on, just leave everything to me. (Bonus points for catching the reference!)
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Considering your moniker, name him/her “Lind” after James Lind who first proved scurvy could be treated with citrus fruit.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Wikked Navajoe On a scale from 1 to 100, how busy is your schedule?

99. All hands are on deck for this next project, and we’re charging full-speed ahead. Every hour of the day is given to squeezing into this game as much awesome as it will hold - and some days are longer than others. There’s no such thing as idle hands at Bungie right now. We save that final percentage point in our schedule to eat, climb the rock-wall, and keep the connection to our community alive with this here Mail Sack.

DE4THINC4RN4TE Name the most profound effect working for BUNGIE has had on your life.

Working at a place that provides enough paid days off to spend about 2 months of every year in other countries.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

It's been an amazing experience working with talented and motivated people who really care about what they're doing. The most profound effect of this is the gratitude I feel every day to be able to be some small part of it.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I believe that there are companies out there that actually care about their employees. I was seriously beginning to doubt that.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I enjoy my job for the first time in many years. I can spend the weekends with my family.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

I’m skinnier. No, seriously. Bungie is a very fitness-conscious crowd, and it’s helped inspire me to get in better shape. I’ve lost about 40 pounds since I started working here.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

EAGLES5 If I kill and mount big foot, will you hang it in your studios?

We have a Bigfoot. If you be a hunting man, we think that the Loch Ness Monster would be a nice addition to our growing collection of mysterious anomalies.

The inner sanctum room with no windows and the seven-sided table. The leadership team conducts strange and terrible rites in there to maintain the stability of the universe during crunch.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

The server room. I’ve been told that if you aim just right you can utilize the airflow to gas somebody all the way across the room.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

What kind of gas are we talking about here, Skank?

WestCoastRonin Who is responsible for making the ViDocs and other video content that has come out of Bungie in the past? Do you have an internal video production team?

I asked the same exact thing when I got here. It turns out that Bungie’s resident storyteller and digital auteur was one of the interrogators on my interview loop, and he never revealed himself. He prefers instead to remain behind the curtain, pushing the buttons that make the wizard belch green smoke. There isn’t a single photo of him in existence – at least not one that isn’t blurry or obstructed by trees in a dense forest.

Lobster Fish 2 What was your favorite decade to experience? Why?

The dream of the ‘90s is alive in Seattle, too. We relive that decade every day. All you need to do is turn on the radio. Let’s see if any of our people have been able to escape the gravity well of pre-millennial nostalgia…

The ‘90s. I'd still be wearing neon baggy pants if it weren't for that court order.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

The ‘90s. Mostly for the music and the sweet arcades.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

The ‘90s, be it the SNES, rollerblades, denim everything, or a combination of all of the above.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

The ‘90s. Why? Space Jam.
Michael Strein, Engineer

The ‘90s. It was a great decade for entertainment. Good music. Games started to become a more serious affair - some of my favorite games of all time come from the decade. Good movies.
Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer

The 80’s! Only had a few years in the 80’s but they were amazing due to Labyrinth, the crazy style back then and music.
Rachel Swavely, MoCap Tech

The 80’s. I got my driver’s license. I attend all the big-hair-band concerts. I met my wife. I became a computer programmer.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Just as I suspected: It looks like only two of the people in our sampling prefer big hair to soggy flannel.

defnop552 If you could travel back in time to when you first started in the industry, what advice would you give yourself?

Skip grad school, make more games.
John Hopson, User Research Lead

Don’t expect college to teach you how to be a professional computer programmer.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

As this was my first gig straight outta school, I think I’d give myself a hug and tell myself to stop worrying so much about not meeting the studio’s expectations.
Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Don’t get jaded, always be closing and bet everything you have on the 2004 Red Sox to win the Series.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Don’t sign up for that Facebook account, it’s just gonna become noise. Bet on Bungie.
Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer

Buy Apple stock.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

Mr_Brightside How can I make my writing colorful like yours and Recon Number 54’s?

When you say “colorful,” do you mean the unmistakable hue that signals our posts on the Bungie forum? Or were you referring to a delightfully entertaining literary quality that spurs you on to drink deep of our every word? If you want colored text on the forum, you’re gonna have to ascend to the seat of power occupied by a Forum Ninja, or even a gold-plated employee of Bungie, Inc. If you want to be a more colorful writer, Urk tells me the secret is usin’ a lot of apostrophes.

SG Tumnus123 What's the best costume you've seen?

Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Derek Carroll, Senior Designer

Shameless self-promotion.Mark Flieg, Artist

Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer

LIGHTNING ROUND!

ChorrizoTapatio May we please be the judges of an employee costume contest for Halloween?

Okay. Stay tuned.

AxJARxOFxDIRT Do you shower before bed or after bed? I think that is a good lightning round question.

Breaking In - Joseph Ainsworth

Machines making machines...

Game development relies heavily on machines. The more work the machines can do, the more the people who wield those machines are freed up to dream and create. While it sounds dangerous to give machines more and more control of our lives, this guy assures me that we have everything under control…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

My name is Joseph Ainsworth and I am an Associate Test Engineer at Bungie. In simple terms, I assist developers by testing their amazing features and write tools for the test team to consume. I also help support our automation services by writing script and code to add new automation features. No one can ship a game in this day and age without a lot of automation.

It sounds like you’re creating machines that will eventually take over the world. Until your “automation” becomes self-aware and decides the fate us all, how will you be spending your free time?

Like most gamers, my interests include Games/TV/Movies, but I also enjoy Tennis & Snowboarding. We have a lot of snow up in Washington, so you can always get in some good runs at the nearby ski resort.

Describe for us the trail that you ran to end up working with our Test team.

Before working at Bungie, I worked at a smaller mobile/handheld games developer as a grunt tester. I took this job straight out of college in an attempt to stay in the games industry, and it paid off in giving me practical work experience in test. As soon as I spotted the opportunity on Bnet to test scripts in Halo: Reach I knew that I had to jump at the opportunity! Nine months of contracting on Halo: Reach and post-ship support, I was given the chance to join the Bungie squad full time and haven’t looked back since.

It sounds like you’re a man with a plan. Was your rise to power in the video game industry all by your design?

I have always wanted to be in game development. Since the early days on my Nintendo, I enjoyed playing as many games as possible. Once I reached High school, I found out about Digipen, a game development school in Washington that offered a 4 year degree in game development and programming. It was a huge risk to go down this path, but I was fortunate enough to translate my learning experiences into my actual job.

Luck favors those with courage. Let’s dig deeper into this free advertisement for Digipen. What did you learn there that you still use today?

I have a Bachelors of Science in RTIS. Most of my college career was spent programming in various languages, which I still use to this day.

How did you charm us into inviting you into one of our interrogation chambers as a job applicant?

I was very over-qualified for the position that I applied for, making it easy for the recruiters to bring me in for an interview. The hardest part about getting into the game industry is being able to get a phone call back from recruiting. Once you get the interview then you truly have a chance to shine (assuming you don’t blow it!), and show off your skills to get the job.

Your hubris is showing! Did you still feel so overqualified once we had our way with you during a full day of interviews?

The hardest part of my interview at Bungie was the open ended test questions, as sometimes there is no “correct” answer and they can be left up to a person’s best discretion. On the flip side, the programming portion of the interview went smoothly and I was able to secure the job on that front.

It’s apparent that your confidence will simply not be shaken. Let’s talk instead about the work you’re doing for us now. What’s the most rewarding thing about your gig at Bungie?

Seeing people use and enjoy the products that you make is always rewarding. This further drives you to want to implement even more awesome features and make people’s lives (and tools) a lot easier.

Take us deeper into that experience. Describe for us, if you will, one day in the life of a Test Engineer?

The day starts, everything is on fire, hoses are pulled out, and hopefully by the end of the day all the fires of been quelled! In all seriousness, Bungie is a very dynamic environment. Every day is a new experience and tests a person by keeping them on their toes. It’s in this sense that the firefight scenario is very applicable, because you just never know when something is going to break or someone will have a request that needs to be fulfilled ASAP.

You make it sound so exciting. How do we reward all that time spent in our burning building?

Great benefits, great people, relaxed environment.

What’s your favorite accomplishment in this relaxed environment? Describe that one moment in which someone appreciated your work, and assured you that you belong here.

Adding a tool for managing and tracking BVTs from the test team is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. This tool is in use by a lot of the test team, and it is always a joy to add new features to make their lives easier. When someone literally says to your face, “Thanks for all your hard work, we really appreciate all the new features,” you know you have done your job.

You mentioned the drive to always be implementing awesome new features. How has that drive manifested in your job?

Upon being hired at Bungie, I had spent most of my programming experience in C++. Since being at Bungie, I have learned all the ins-and-outs of C# and WPF. This new coding language has been a god-send for being able to create and iterate on tools in a stylish fashion.

Pass some of that style on to hopeful young developers-in-waiting who want to sit near you. What would you tell them to drive them on to an exciting career as an engineer?

Don’t settle for just the basic qualifications for your job, always try to be over qualified and understand/progress toward future goals. Dedicated and goal driven people are the only people who really make it in this tough industry. Also try meet and make friends with people in the industry, because they always say, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

We’re glad that we know you, Joseph. As some of our coworkers have already said: “Thanks for all your hard work.”

Anyone who packs the confidence to take the risk of joining this industry, but lacks a solid plan might find some ideas in our Breaking In archive. Joseph’s gambit is just one way to come work for Bungie. We have a studio filled with risk takers – daredevils of every variety. And, we need more of them.

Career Day Mail Sack

What do you want to be when you grow up?

For so many members of the Bungie Community, playing games (and loving them) is simply not enough. Their daydreams about games compel them to make games, and we can certainly relate. Just about every person who calls this studio their home away from home was driven to plant roots here by their passions as gamers. When we opened the Mail Sack this week, the questions that tumbled from its depths focused on the mysterious migration from the controller to the workstation.

Bungie Career Day begins now. Let’s open the sack.

antony X1000 Were you part of the community before you started working at Bungie?

Most of you know that I was plucked from the same battlefields that you have played on to lead this march into our next game. I am not alone. Here are only a few of the developers who blazed a trail into the industry before I ever met them…

Back in 1995, “the community” was just alt.games.marathon on USENET. A bunch of current Bungie staffers were once big fans of Marathon and Myth, way back in the day.
Derek Carroll, Senior Designer

Once a gamer, always a gamer. Just one more level…
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Yes. The website and I always were, and always will be.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I wasn’t part of the Bungie community, but I was a part of another videogame community online. I ran my own website, too!
David Johnson, Engineer

EpicWaffles What should I start doing to be a Level Designer at Bungie?

Whenever you ask a question about getting a job at Bungie, the answer will invariably be: “Make something!” No matter what sort of job you’re applying for, the people who interview you will want to see that you have done what we need you to do somewhere else, even if it’s in your home office. Level Design is no different. Here’s some advice on how to cut your teeth on your own projects…

The best way to get into making games is to make games. There are plenty of game engines out there that will let you show off your skill.
Derek Carroll, Senior Designer

Pick up any of the free level editing tool kits and start learning. UDK (Unreal), Unity, and Source SDK are great places to start. Start small, learn the basics, and build small levels no bigger than a couple rooms that emulate spaces you have seen before in real life or other games. Study some architecture, learn basic composition, and apply it to the levels you are building.
Evan Nikolich, Designer

Design your own levels and get them noticed in the community. Keep working at it and try different things. Knowledge is power!
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Kr1egerdude What's the most difficult part of your day?

Waking up before dawn so I can make it to work on time. Don’t get me wrong. It’s totally worth it.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Bypassing the morning treats Bungie offers without partaking in them.
David Johnson, Engineer

Meetings right before lunch. Usually they run long and then I have to wait even longer to get lunch.
Mat Noguchi, Programmer

Whenever I have to make significant edits or completely gut a mission or level. It can be tough to go back to existing work and know where to start and editing to make the gameplay experience better.
Evan Nikolich, Designer

Tearing myself away from the screen to try to get home and start cooking dinner at a reasonable hour. It can be really hard to stop coding when you get rolling on something, and it’s even harder to stop playing the most recent build of our game.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

The hardest part is prioritizing tasks. There’s so much to do, which makes it essential to prioritize properly.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

QuirkyNate If you were going to rob a bank which employees would you take?

Bungie doesn't recommend bank robbery as a viable career choice. Assuming, however, that we are just playing around here, I volunteer to drive the getaway car.

Jondis Is it better to specialize in one area or to be well rounded? I've heard both.

I prefer to be well-rounded, although I can see the benefits of both. I think it has more to do with your personality. I tend to get bored easily when I focus all my energy into one area. I like to keep learning and expanding my knowledge on as many different skills as possible.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

For test, both of those are the correct answer. We’re all expected to specialize in our specific area, but we’re also expected to be knowledgeable across the board.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Definitely have a specialty, but know how to do everything else at least a little bit so you can communicate better with people who work in different disciplines.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

The best engineers I know have areas where they’re experts, but also a general knowledge of the entire field. Perhaps just as important, they have a keen understanding of what they know and what they don’t.
Joe Venzon, Engineer

Kaneg93 What all should a freshman computer science student do besides obtaining their bachelor's degree that will ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge, or experience needed to earn an engineering position at Bungie?

One does not earn any position. They take it, with audacity and tenacity.
Mat Noguchi, Programmer

Write your own game engine. It’s the best experience you can have. There are so many documentation/discussion forums online nowadays that it’s pretty easy to start hacking your own thing.Alexis Haraux, Engineer

Networking is just as important as knowledge and skills. Knowing who to talk to, when to talk to them, and how to talk to them is imperative to land any position. If no one knows you, they won’t know to ask you to work with them. Get to know the industry face-to-face.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

If it already exists, join the game-making club on campus. If it doesn't, think about starting one. Or, you can try to find people online to work with. I was able to join the Game Creation Society during undergrad. I hear TIGSource is also good for finding like-minded people.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

All software engineers at Bungie are expected to have a good understanding of data structures and algorithms. Know your Big Oh notation!
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Don’t just stick to classwork. There's no substitute for the experience of working on a real piece of software. One way to do this is to find an open source project that you're interested in and try fixing a bug or two.
Mike Forrest, Senior Engineer

David Hanson, my teacher for Systems Programming, gave weekly programming homework assignments. If your program crashed for any reason, you got a zero for the assignment, no exceptions. After the midterm, if your program crashed or leaked memory, you got a zero. It was the best motivation to write solid, robust code that I ever had.
Tom Sanocki, Staff Artist

We have a good number of programmers that are mathematicians, physicists and engineers; which reflects one of Bungie’s emphases: Math is delicious. A practical (and solid) algorithms base also helps a lot. The rest you can get with hands on experience - and the more you have the better.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

HDhacker What do you typically do when you are having a bad day of coding?

Rage eternally at the inequities of reality. I have a lot of bad days.
Mat Noguchi, Programmer

If I get stuck on a problem, I take a break and go running, or if it’s late, I head home.
Joe Venzon, Engineer

Coding in itself is almost never the problem you want to solve, except at school. If you’re having a bad day, just go outside, lie on the grass, and enjoy some sun. If you live in Washington, move to California.
Alexis Haraux, Engineer

I just drink another Monster Import: Dub Edition and make some music in Ableton Live. Usually calms me down.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

I think it’s important to find some sort of inner Zen when you’re having a rough day. When I can, I temporarily switch to a task that’s sure to invigorate me. If I can’t, I ask a coworker to give me a sanity check to make sure I’m on the right foot.
David Johnson, Engineer

When I feel myself starting to stall and get frustrated, I usually get up to go to get a snack. If that doesn't help, I’ll bounce my thoughts off coworkers to see if I’m failing to notice something more elegant, or if I just have a really nasty issue.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

It is amazing how often a two minute conversation with a colleague reveals the solution. If that doesn’t work, I follow John Cleese’s recommendation. If all else fails, I play a game for a while to relax.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Stop and take a break. If it's an issue of not being able to focus, switch to a different task for a while. Or caffeine.
Mike Forrest, Senior Engineer

Am I brain dead? Take a day off and go home. Am I still functional? Go play <Insert new Bungie game title here>!
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

calcarlson Can I or should I pursue a career in Video Games as a 3d sculptor? I use physical media and I'm wondering if that has any place in a video game studio, or if you use solely computer based models?

Yes! Video game models are sculptures in a different medium. Typically, it’s less dangerous and less messy than casting and you go home at the end of the day with clean clothes. A traditional-skilled sculptor can transfer the same concepts digitally. You would just need some basic 3D software training to get up to speed, but the art stuff will already be there.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

That snarling visage was sculpted by hands that belong to our Character Team. In order to see their work from a more literal perspective, the guys that bring to life new creatures in our games took a sojourn to the Seattle Sculpture Atelier. Taking a break from virtual modeling to workshop the physical medium was a valuable exercise. Don’t go jumping to conclusions, now. This was little more than an experiment. If you think you’ll see that beasty critter in our next game, please reign in your conspiracy theories.

Arbiter 739 How did you learn to code?

I figured out how to modify game genie codes for Dragon Warrior 3.
Mat Noguchi, Programmer

I started on a Commodore64 using super simple basic commands. Just pick up a book and try some things out. Keep the scope of your projects small and manageable at first and build from there.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

My mom enrolled me in some computer programming camps offered at universities during the summer. That’s what really sparked my love and passion for it. Once you have the basics, it’s easy to go off and explore.
David Johnson, Engineer

I made the effort to learn to code and it made me a better designer. I learned by taking classes in high school and college, but the most productive learning was done on my own side projects or learning on the job.
Evan Nikolich, Designer

The most important thing is to find some projects that interest you and dive in. I ended up dumping hours and hours into making a terrible JRPG battle engine and was completely hooked after that.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

In high school I bought a C++ for beginner’s book and went through all the programming examples. Then I bought a more advanced C++ book and did the same. I wrote some programs for some relatives to get some “real world” experience.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Being “forced” into coding for immediate real world needs is what has worked best for me. Back when I started on Halo 3, we had a tool called “Xbox Chief.” I started out by writing automation scripts using the simple language, but eventually needed something more powerful. I learned to convert all of the stuff I was doing into C# and then began playing around. Now I write all of my scripts using C# as well as write programs for various tasks around the studio.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

LordMonkey What programming language do you find most useful?

When it comes to improving my computer science skills and writing relatively bug-free code, but performance is not a concern, I like using Haskell.
Joe Venzon, Engineer

C++, you’d be surprised how useful it is…even if you don’t code.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Personally, I think C# is one of the best languages to learn because there’s so much already at your fingertips. It lets you explore and create without having to hunt down or write your own common structures. It’s easily the language of choice I use at home for random projects.
David Johnson, Engineer

C and C++ are supported by most major platforms so learn those first. Next learn C#, Java, and JavaScript. If you know those languages you can get hired just about anywhere and you can quickly learn any other language.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

If I had to pick one it would be C, because you can use it for just about anything. But there are better alternatives depending on what I'm doing. PHP is great for smaller web projects because it's quick and easy and runs on just about anything. And Java and C# are great for more complex systems.
Mike Forrest, Senior Engineer

Certain languages at better at certain things, and you should pick the one that fits best. Don't limit yourself to only one or two. Once you know the basics of how various types of languages work, it usually isn't too hard to pick up a new one if you want/need to.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

Professor24 I always seem to get stuck on chapter three or four of a book that I'm trying to write, what keeps the writers at Bungie creative?

Accept that the first draft is going to suck and write it as quickly as you can. Don’t judge a single word. Don’t second guess yourself. Don’t correct spelling or grammar. Just get words on the page. Create the ugliest beast you can imagine then chain it to a pipe in the basement and walk away. Don’t even look at it for at least a month. When you are ready, get back in there and make it handsome.
Clay Carmouche, Writer

I think the biggest reason most people get stuck is self-judgment. You have to learn to love your creativity. And if you can’t love it, at least accept it like the problem child it is, and keep trying. It will constantly lead you down dangerous paths and get you in trouble. But if you just take a breath, and love it for trying to be good, love it for aspiring, and accept it as imperfect, like we all are, then you’ll have the patience to wait and try again and see what comes next. Writing is hard. But you have to just keep going, just keep writing, and you will, eventually, fall back in love with your work. And when you don’t feel that creative spark, write anyway. As a great teacher of mine once said, the real secret to writing is three simple words: Ass. In. Chair.
Joshua Rubin, Writer

Consume other acts of creativity. Stare at a painting. Watch an old movie. Read some story that’s not at all related to the premise you’re working on. See how other creative folks handle their business. If that doesn’t inspire you, steal from them, but add enough of your own sauce to make it your own.
Eric Raab, Managing Editor

Full Time Loser Should I give up?

Quitters never win. Now buck up, and walk the walk. You could start by picking a more inspirational username.

Try Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?

Everyone who weighed in on this conundrum chose satisfaction. Here’s why…

I’m compelled to work every day, doing the things I love to do. Some call it obsession; I call it PassionTM.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Money is a nice perk, don’t get me wrong, but having worked at a job where I wasn’t at all satisfied, your mediocre job eventually becomes your worst nightmare and starts taking over your at-home life as well.
David Johnson, Engineer

I had opportunities to pursue better paying jobs when I first started working, but I’ve learned that if you don’t like coming to work every day, the higher pay isn’t worth it. However, by all means, get paid what you and your skills are worth! Ideally, you have a satisfying job with a wage you feel you deserve.
Evan Nikolich, Designer

If you paid me a ton of money for something I didn’t enjoy, I would end up taking that anger home and would never be happy. On the flip side I should point out that having an employer that clearly appreciates my contributions adds to the satisfaction of a job I enjoy doing.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

I have a few friends who have a job they love, but are barely making ends meet. They’re always happy and don't mind the fact that they don't have much money. I have another friend who is making money hand over fist, but hates his job, and I have watched him become depressed and less energetic.
Andrew Friedland, Associate Engineer

Job Satisfaction > Money!
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

I’ve done the money thing, and it’s soul draining, although I do miss the huge money-filled vault that I used to dive into.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Job satisfaction is great, but I do like being paid in money. You can buy more stuff with it.
Mike Forrest, Senior Engineer

MightyMarcher01 What is your favorite type of chip?

Silicone.

SpadesJr2 How would one go about getting into the voice acting business?

You’re in for a special treat. I found a voice actor that might know a thing or two about working on games. You may have even sampled some of his work (you better have). The floor is yours, Chief…

When it comes to Voice Acting. The emphasis is on "acting," not "voice." Someone telling you that you have a nice voice is no reason to pursue voice over. Many great voice talents don’t have a rich deep voice. What they have is believability. The idea is to be able to internalize the message and deliver it so the listener "feels" it. If you live near a place that has a reputable acting school, look into what classes they offer. Many will offer voice over classes. Even taking an intro to acting class or an improv class would be helpful. Talk to actors who have taken classes there and get a few good referrals (very important). If you live near a city that has a branch of the actors union (AFTRA-SAG), call them. Often times, they offer free classes on getting into voice over, and can also make recommendations on reputable schools in your area. Whatever you do, DON'T GO TO A BROADCASTING SCHOOL.Steve Downes, Master Chief

PVSpartanL36 Do you have any wisdom to share with someone who is new to programming and struggling?

Pick a project that you think is really cool (simple game, cellular automaton, physics simulation, website, etc.), and DO IT. Even if you don’t finish it (I’ve never completed any of my personal projects), you’ll learn a lot.
Alexis Haraux, Engineer

Don’t give in to the gremlins! If you’re struggling over some programming concepts, step back and go through some tutorials to help you understand the basics fully before moving on. Try teaching someone else some basic programming concepts. If they get it, move on to the next level. By teaching someone else, you’ll discover the holes in your own knowledge.
Forest Soderlind, Technical Artist

No matter what you pursue, there will be obstacles. Realize it’s a phase in the learning process. Once you get past the obstacle, you’ll have gained new knowledge and expertise, and this will make you a better developer. Good luck, and keep plugging away!
Evan Nikolich, Designer

Even at the professional level, programming is a constant struggle, so learn to enjoy the struggle. The most rewarding projects I’ve worked on were the most difficult. Also, find a mentor who can review your code and give you guidance. Lastly, it takes time and practice to become a proficient programmer so have patience and diligence.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Try to avoid getting frustrated. Programming is hard enough when you have a clear mind. Do your best to make sure you're not attempting something that's over your head. Stick with simple problems for a while and things will start to click. Just keep practicing. One way to improve is to take some older code that you wrote or an old homework assignment and re-write it to make it cleaner, or better, or faster.
Mike Forrest, Senior Engineer

Keep finding odd and diverse tasks to sharpen your skills. Challenge yourself to do something new. It doesn’t have to be big, but it has to be outside of your comfort zone.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Learn by shooting for targets that directly affect you, and don’t be afraid to ask questions from folks that know what they are doing. In the five years I’ve been at Bungie, I have never had an Engineer refuse to provide me with as much help as I needed to get through something.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Create a reasonable goal involving something that interests you, and learn what you need to do in order to accomplish that. Having that goal behind you will almost certainly steer your passion behind the process, which is a big help. Almost every time I started learning a new computer language for fun, I started simple. One of the coolest university projects I had to do was to create a networked, multiplayer game of Battleship complete with win/loss record keeping.
David Johnson, Engineer

Modify completed code, or code samples. It’s a lot easier to see cause and effect when you can change aspects and directly see the effects and connections.
Jennifer Ash, User Researcher

The universe is fundamentally computational; learning its secrets will take time. It took the universe 13.75 Billion years for you to be born. Have patience and keep plugging away.
Mat Noguchi, Programmer

spawn031 My friend in an Xbox Live party chat just told me that you guys can give me blue flames.

Here you go. We consider the matter closed. Please stop writing us letters.

At least about blue flames. We do love your letters, but the ship that carried your blue flames as cargo has sailed, friends.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into our world, and the roads that lead here. We’ll let our hair down a little more next week, and get back to the ridiculous sarcasm and nonsense that you should expect during this communications blackout. So many of you just seemed so sincere about your curiosities this week, and we’re just a bunch of suckers for eager young minds that want to make games.

Breaking In - Tom Slattery

Shooting baddies is fun in any language...

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Habla Español? Parlez-vous français ? Вы говорите по-русски? Across this big, wide world, there are players of Bungie games who would answer those questions “Yes!” To make sure they can love our creations just as hard as players in our own backyard, we keep this guy busy….

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

If you’re reading this, and English isn’t your second or third language, odds are good my work won’t impact you very much at all. If you can’t read this, it’s a good thing I’m here - assuming you can read some other language. If you just can’t read, it’s time to put the controller down and hit those books, son!

“But, Dad, I’m almost an Inheritor in Halo: Reach!” In all seriousness, what is the nature of your job, and how does your work impact people who don’t speak English?

I’m the Localization Content Manager and it’s my job to translate all of Bungie’s game assets — text, voices, manuals, and so on — into other languages so that players around the world can understand the answers to such important questions as “Why am I shooting these baddies in the face?”, “Why are these baddies trying to shoot me in the face?” and “Where should I go next to continue shooting things in the face?”

My day-to-day duties vary, but the main responsibilities of the position are managing the pipeline for text and audio localization (creating software tools for automation where possible), coordinating with external localization teams, managing internal localization staff, and overseeing the linguistic testing process.

So, how many languages can you speak?

Let’s see… English, Japanese, the full arsenal of Spanish profanity, and a handful of phrases my brain managed to retain from three years of French in High School. So, two.

And how do speak the universal language of fun when you’re not building a universal translator into our games?

Traveling, photography, games, reading, being a wine and coffee snob. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about theoretical physics and spending as much time as possible outdoors, making the most of what has been an amazingly long Seattle summer with my wife and giant, floppy-eared Doberman. (Don’t mutilate your puppies’ ears, people. So not cool.)

A coffee and wine snob must be right at home in the gloomy bosom of Seattle. What other localities have you visited to prepare you for this job? What did you do there?

I went to Japan on the JET Program after college and taught English at a public junior high for a couple of years. After that, I was lucky enough to land a job as a video game translator at one of the big Japanese publishers and worked there for a little over five years before eventually coming back stateside for a position at the U.S. headquarters of another major Japanese game company.

My first job in the industry was hands-on, in-the-trenches localization, and that experience was invaluable. I spent years working as a translator alongside development teams on a variety of platforms, and because of that, I understand what translators need in order to produce their best work possible--and what can be done on the development side to ensure the whole process goes smoothly.

The job after that involved more project management than translation. It turned me into a better organized and more effective communicator, capable of juggling multiple projects and competing tasks (i.e., staying sane and keeping myself and others productive when there was more on my plate than I could hope to get through any time in the foreseeable future) while also managing expectations on both sides of a vast physical and cultural divide. (U.S. and Japanese work cultures are…different, to say the least.) I also had an awesome boss who taught me a lot about being a good manager.

The teaching gig — well, uh, that got me to Japan (and gave me deep and profound respect for middle school teachers!).

When you were growing up, did you always want to be a man of the world and its broad spectrum of languages?

I never really had a concrete plan. I went through a bunch of phases as a kid, and even changed majors at the last minute the summer before college. More than anything else, I wanted to learn a second language and try living in another country. There was always a vague goal of ending up in the game industry, but not much beyond that.

Don’t keep us in suspense. When you changed your major at the last minute, where did you land?

Computer science, with minors in Japanese and math. A few general education requirements aside, pretty much everything has been useful to my gig at Bungie in some way. I use the programming in my current position, and learning another language was, obviously, pivotal to getting where I am today.

That’s a unique blend of skills. How did you convince us that we needed them?

I never asked why Bungie picked me over other applicants, but I would guess it was a combination of experience and demonstrating real passion for the specific job I was applying for. Working a position like this — and being responsible for the quality of languages you don’t even speak — you need to be a strong advocate for localization. You need to care about making sure the game doesn’t just get translated, but gets translated well. We need to create an experience in that language for players that’s just as awesome and immersive as the one players of the English version are getting.

Did that same dedication to excellence in linguistics propel you through your Bungie interview loop? What was your inquisition as a candidate like?

It wasn’t “an” interview, it was a full day of them - one interviewer after another, never knowing what topic to expect next. Even lunch was a sort of interview, so there was never any downtime to collect my thoughts. By the end of the afternoon, my brain was mush.

If your ability to translate our games is still intact, I would say that you made a full recovery. Now that you’re here, what’s the best part of your gig?

Knowing that I’m contributing to something awesome that I’m excited about as a gamer, and having the ability to influence decisions that will make the experience better for millions.

We certainly hope that many people will attend the feast we’re preparing. Describe for us a day in the life of setting the table for such a diverse audience.

I usually have some coffee at home, get to the studio a little after 8:00, grab some more coffee, work until lunch, eat, grab a little more coffee, and work some more. Sometimes, if I’m feeling a bit drained, I’ll get a late-afternoon coffee to mix things up. You don’t want your routine to get too predictable, right?

You make Bungie sound like coffee snob heaven. Is that your favorite perk? If not, name the one thing that Bungie does for us that makes you the happiest.

The music in the bathrooms. Why on earth people seem to think making bathrooms the quietest places in a building is a good idea is beyond me. Every restroom everywhere should be pumped full of loud, awesome music. No one wants to hear the things that go on in there.

No one.

Let’s get this conversation out of the toilet. Shall we? No one who works at Bungie is allowed to sit still, at least not in terms of their skills. What’s your plan to become ever better at what you do?

I’m actively involved in the IGDA Localization SIG, and I do my best to keep current on any and all industry happenings related to localization—the good and the bad. Also, I married a native speaker of my second language. Does that count?

That should certainly keep you from getting rusty – especially around the holidays. Would you recommend the path you travelled into this industry? What would you say to someone who shares your passions for languages and gaming?

Don’t do what I did! Moving across the world without any kind of plan worked out pretty well for me, but in retrospect, it’s rather amazing I ended up in this industry at all.

Before we say “Arigato!” please translate this riddle into an answer: Experience, Work Ethic, or Talent? Rank them in order of importance to your role.

Tough question. Experience is definitely big. Knowing the kinds of issues you’re likely to encounter lets you plan effectively and nip potential problems in the bud. Work ethic is right up there too, though. There are a million ways to cut corners on localization, and all of them hurt the end result. So, maybe it’s a tie between those two, with Talent in third place. Talent is critical for translators, but I’m just the man behind the curtain in my current role.

Bungie needs people who speak all sorts of languages to help us make games. In Tom’s case, some of those languages are literal. In other cases, the languages we speak are rooted in math, or science, or even art. To find out if your favorite language might lead you to one of our seats, you should check out the Breaking In archive. Right this very minute, we are hiring translators from all disciplines.

The Mail Sack is Secure

Warning: This can be habit forming...

When you ask a question of Bungie, you can expect a whole galaxy of different answers. Even if there are things that we agree on in lock step, we still manage to take those steps in our own fashion. This collision of perspectives and experiences aids the process we use to make our games. You’ll learn more about that process Soon™. In the meantime, these guys stepped into the mail room to give you a sample of the spectrum that shines in our studio.

*That isn't a joke. The IT Department has all the fun with their titles. As for everyone else, whether your titles are suitable for a resume or not, let’s open the Sack.

Malfar Any MechWarrior fans in the house? What's your favorite Mech?

Marauder all the way.David Shaw, Senior Producer

I actually used to be part of a thriving BattleTech table top game. I piloted a heavy assault Mech with three MRM missile pods, two PPCs and six coolant pods! That way I could alpha strike.Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

My favorite Mech of all time is MechaGendron. It’s a fictional software-testing Mech I created for a comic series I’m working on. He’s an unstoppable testing machine that can do his job without the burden of emotions or fatigue. He eventually joins the professional gaming circuit and crushes all his opponents with his sweet gaming skillz. At night, he fights crime with his Gauss Rifle/LRM20 combo. But that really has nothing to do with MechWarrior. That’s a great game, though.Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Good stalkers know that a number of us are ex-FASA Studio peeps, who might have made some ‘Mech games in the past. After four major games and a bunch of expansions, I’m physically unable to leave off the trademark apostrophe from the word ‘Mech (in the BattleTech Universe, it’s short for BattleMech). To actually answer your question, my favorite ‘Mechs are the ones from Tesla Battletech, the most hardcore and evil of all the MechWarrior games. Coolant Loops! Ammo Bay Fires! Glory!Derek Carroll, Senior Designer

Kivell What is a strange habit that you have?

I maintain a bizarre weekly ritual where I invite a bunch of gamers to ask their favorite game developers questions, and then eliminate any chance of those two groups of people actually talking about what they really want to talk about. The angst that flows from both directions nourishes me, it does. I’m sure our Panel has even weirder fetishes…

If I think no one is watching, I sing when I code. I feel like it has a positive effect on my ability to reason, and it keeps me awake when I’m coding late nights.Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I am addicted to SCIENCE! Well that and almost every joint in my body can pop, probably due to my science addiction.Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

I won’t eat hot food. I let my food cool down to what most people would consider “barely warm” before eating. I eat quickly so I don’t hold up the table.Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

I keep coming back to this place called Bungie every weekday. What in the world is up with that?!David Johnson, Engineer

I have a habit of making up complicated origin/backstories for people I don’t know. They usually involve super powers, the mob or the CIA.Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Responding to these.Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

I end every statement with the words “In accordance with prophecy.”Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

talon2000 Who's your favorite historical figure and why?

(Inset Marty joke here - then turn question over to Panel.)

I have quite a few heroes, but my favorite would have to be Neil Armstrong - or any of the astronauts from that time frame. Can you imagine? You had to be part scientist, part pilot, part cowboy, part crazy man, and a jack-of-all-trades to make it into the program! Then, you strapped yourself to that giant explosion. It’s probably why I get a kick out of movies like this…

Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Thomas Jefferson: For the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom, Declaration of Independence, his involvement in the distribution of the smallpox vaccine, and for being President of a country that had doubled in size since first holding office.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Mark Twain. In spite of the historical climate that he lived in, he held the radical view that all people were created equal. And his wit was razor sharp, in accordance with prophecy.
Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

There are so many to choose from! How about Ludwig van Beethoven? The man loved music so much that, even after becoming deaf, he was still able to work his craft - just because he had an intuition for how melodies and harmonies would weave themselves together. It’s that sort of determination and fearlessness in the face of obstacles and limitations (despite having every excuse to quit) that I’d love to embody.
David Johnson, Engineer

The amount of caffeine ingested by Bungie during crunch time.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Ministry @ Lollapolooza ’92.
David Shaw, Senior Producer

When I was in high school, two friends and I were in the theater’s green room during lunch, and the age-old question of “If God is everywhere, is he also in the toilet?” came up. Right when it was mentioned, a plastic dinner plate that was away from everyone shattered. We were the only people in the room at the time. We still talk about it when we see each other, in accordance with prophecy.
Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

Yes. Twice. But they are long, scary stories. One story ends with a family moving out of a very nice house.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Carbon fiber.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

I’ve seen and experienced a large number of coincidences in my life. I prefer to interpret those things as evidence in favor.
David Johnson, Engineer

YES. One time I was watching TV, and this girl climbed up out of a well. Then, then she came right through the TV. That was crazy.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

INTERMISSION: We interrupt this Mail Sack to bring you a very special conference with one of Bungie’s most valuable employees. By popular demand, our community was given the chance to put the question to the man who puts the “secure” in our secure location. Bungie fans know him as Jerome. The world knows him as the immovable object that stands between them and their irresistible urge to know our precious secrets. At Bungie, we know him as the gatekeeper who makes us feel safe while we toil away in the darkness of our compound.

Jerome, the mail room is yours.

YodasCurd What do you do to keep yourself occupied while on the job?

I am constantly looking for intruders, allowing access to those who come to conduct business with Bungie, and monitor all entrances to keep them locked down.

antony X1000 Any stories about extremely persistent fans attempting to get into the studio?

Sometimes, people tell me that their brother or sister works at Bungie, and they told them to stop by. Usually when I ask them for the names of the employee, they can’t tell me.

Hylebos What would happen if a fan tried to deliver a cake to the studio?

Bungie’s policy is to reject any food from anyone other than a food service.

mark117 mia2553 Do you like your new home better than the old one? What are some differences that you can share?

I love our new space, but I did have more fun at the old location because I got to tow unauthorized vehicles.

Jerome Trivia: He performed this task without the use of a tow truck.

CTN 0452 9 What is the best part of working at Bungie?

Being part of a great business, constantly meeting highly talented people, and working at a place where most of the world would love to work.

MsCadetUNIVERSE What is the most memorable encounter you've ever had with a fan?

A fan came all the way from Australia to meet people at Bungie. He was excited to take some photos with me. After he returned home, he sent a wonderful letter filled with gratitude.

DE4THINC4RN4TE What is it like knowing that thousands of people fear you?

I didn’t know about that.

Jerome Trivia: In answering this question, Jerome was actually referring to “fear” itself – a concept that is completely foreign to him.

This concludes Jerome’s press-conference. Please back away slowly without making eye contact. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Mail Sack in progress…

edableshoe How many employees would it take to take down Jerome? Does the studio even have enough?

This number is uncertain. I don’t think we’ve ever seen his final form.
David Johnson, Engineer

Are you CRAZY asking questions like that? Keep your voice down. You don’t want to be accused of insurrection.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Same number it would take to take down your mom.
Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

Googlz What's your favorite part of Halloween?

I love the mass-hysteria. The world becomes a stage, and everyone dabbles in theatre. It reminds me a little of Xbox Live, since people channel their personalities into an avatar that they wear for one day. Seeing every profession in the world outfitted with a more attractive uniform is also nice.

Colingo If you could trade jobs with one of your colleagues for 24 hours, who would it be and why?

Do we get to gain their powers? If we do, I would switch with CJ Cowan, but those 24 hours would have to be on a weekend when I’m at a golf course. Dude hits it far, straight, and with deadly precision - in accordance with prophecy.
Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

Any of our VO actors! I love doing voice over work, and did a lot of it at my previous studio. I haven’t had the chance at Bungie, and I really miss it.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

I don’t think there’s any job here I particularly envy. Everyone here works hard and contributes their enormous talent. I’d like to think that jumping into anyone else’s role for 24 hours would just leave me dumbstruck as I face the insurmountable task of trying to figure out how to solve problems that seem second nature to them.
David Johnson, Engineer

Scott Kankelborg, Special Projects Assassin

catman6 Are there any unspoken rules of the office that are specific to Bungie?

If I speak about them, they won’t be unspoken anymore. We can’t have that.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

If something is broken in the build that gives you an unfair advantage, abuse it.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Don’t remind the Grizzled Ancients that Middle School has won the Pentathlon two years in a row, in accordance with prophecy.
Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

There is a sign outside the men’s room that says, “What happens in the Man Cave stays in the Man Cave.” Thankfully.
Alan Stuart, Senior Engineer

Don’t forget your keycard or you will have a miserable day.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Be a Hero. I guess that’s not really unspoken. We’ll often literally say to one another: "Be my hero." And we’re usually being totally serious. Also, don't talk about fight club. Wait!
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

ChorrizoTapatio DeeJ, could you give us some advice on creating and maintaining a successful blog?

That crucial first step of deciding on the spirit of your message can be the hardest. A blog should be a vehicle for your own voice - a way to express your passions as a gamer. Be honest. Be sincere. And think about the service you intend to provide to your readers.

To build a following, you’ll need to cultivate a unique lure. My friend Hawty McBloggy used to explore games from an edgy, feminine perspective. The guys at Ascendant Justice could dissect fiction better than any other players could. Foo Mo Jive started a blog at Podtacular to serve up a podcast about all things Halo. I walked the Clan beat on my site, which appealed to gamers who craved a social, competitive experience.

As for maintaining that blog? If there is one thing that Louis Wu always impressed upon me, it was the importance of posting updates frequently enough to keep people checking back for more. Fortunately, his forum was also a great place to drop an invitation to the party I was hosting.

Xd00999 What was your favorite project you worked on before coming to Bungie?

This sounds like one of those questions intended for people who have worked on other games. Instead of telling an exciting story about business travel, I’ll assume that you wanted to know about stuff like this…

MAG. That game was crazy ambitious and an achievement that many people thought couldn’t be pulled off.
David Johnson, Engineer

I loved working on the original Fable at MGS. It was my first AAA title, my first time experiencing crunch in the industry, and my first time I really felt like I had my hands on the project. I have a signed poster from my team hanging up in my living room to this day!
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

For purely personal/nonprofit projects, my favorite was a NaNoWriMo progress tracking app I wrote over a weekend for my friends in the Penny Arcade forums.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

1vs100 for Xbox LIVE.
Jay Thaler, Senior Engineer

Tribes. It had something like 120 motions that were captured, and the stunts were incredibly fun to get – although we capture more in one day now, in accordance with prophecy.
Troy McFarland, Staff Artist

It’s a tie. Quake 3 (because the project itself was so fun) and Power Rangers Ninja Storm for the GBA (because the development of the project went so smoothly).
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Mario Kart.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

EZcompany2ndsqd Can you neither confirm nor deny that the beta testing is taking place?

I can confirm that the Bungie Beta is in a perpetual state of taking place. We’re always curious about the mind of the gamer. Inside the guarded realm of our Laboratorium, we are experimenting on willing subjects to learn how they respond to all sorts of stimuli, including (but not isolated to): builds of our next website, builds of our next game, as well as websites and games that belong to other people. Don’t miss your chance to drive headlong into our wall. Make sure that your Beta Tester profile is up to date, and keep an eye on the email address that you share with us.

spawn031 Roses are red, blue flames are blue, I want them dearly, but only from you.

LIGHTNING ROUND!

Tom T How would you describe the community now? What do you think it will be like in 2 years’ time?

Anxious. Bigger.

coolmike699 Is it true that one of your servers caught on fire during the Halo Reach beta?

Maybe.

QuirkyNate What is your favorite holiday? And why?

Bungie Day. Swag.

MetalxTongue Can I have a peek?

At what?!

Eco Maiden How many Bungie Employees does it take to change a light bulb?

You have reached the end of the Mail Sack. It’s unlikely that you saw it coming, but life is full of surprises. Speaking of which, the Bungie Riddlemasters have a surprise of their own for you. Rare and wonderful swag will be awarded to cunning decoders at every stage. The puzzle will be complete when you decode the last line.

The only hint I’ll give you is that your next chance to ask us a question will come on Monday. Until then, you are at the mercy of your own problem solving skills. Have a nice weekend!

Breaking In - Matthew Ward

Through the lens...

It was George Lucas who once said: “A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.” At Bungie, we agree that the eye-popping cinematics that punctuate our games should transport the player to places filled with meaningful events. A new member of our team understands this cinematic balancing act very well, having walked that tight-rope with Lucas himself, as well as a whole list of Hollywood heavy-weights. Let’s invite him to relive the finer moments of his career, and see what led him to us…

Who are you, and what do you do at Bungie?

I’m Matthew Ward, Senior Cinematics Designer on Bungie’s next project. I’m part of the team responsible for creating the cinematic beats between gameplay. In our little world, we know that the only reason anyone is playing the game is to get to the next cinematic!

You assume too much, Sir. I play for the chance to vent my rage in a socially-acceptable vector, but this isn’t about me. This interview is yours, so let’s learn more about your little world. Would you begin by telling us what we might find you doing when you’re not creating virtual cinema?

When I find time for it, I’m usually shooting something with a camera – everything from portraits to little short films. I’m also a big wine-o. I love the stuff, and I love continuing to learn about it. I even make my own wine with some friends down in Sonoma, and we’ve even won a few awards for it. Most of all, I love spending as much time as possible with my kids. It’s fun experiencing everything in life all over again - so many simplicities to remind us of what we forget to enjoy. They give me a good excuse to do “childish” stuff; like playing with trains and Legos, doing arts and crafts, and watching animated films over and over again.

Let’s experience your childhood again in the service of this interview. Think back to when you were a young lad. Did you used to dream about telling stories through the moving image?

I always dreamed of being a Disney Animator when I was young. It was in college when I realized I was more of a filmmaker. I liked organizing teams working on everything to do with telling a story through a camera lens. Soon after, I found myself wanting to be a filmmaker. My industry experience has had me doing so ever since being hired out of school. Several years ago, I ended up working for Walt Disney Pictures’ Imagemovers Digital, animating previsualizations and final camerawork. So, I guess you can say I reached my goal of being a Disney Animator.

Is that what you were doing when we found you? Did you come to Bungie direct from the magical world of Disney?

Right before working here, I was the Director of Photography on an upcoming animated film being produced by the Weinstein Company called “Escape From Planet Earth.” It was my first full-DP gig - a result of nearly fifteen years of working with directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, The Wachowskis, and Robert Zemeckis. I provided them with shot design, previsualizaton, and layout for their films. Prepping to shoot an entire film was great training. It’s been a key component of my contributions here at Bungie, as we’re trying to bring more of that 35mm big-screen feature-film presence to our cinematics.

There are some rather large names on your resume. Who else have you shared a set with that we might know?

I spent most of my career working with Robert Zemeckis on his motion-capture films, and consider myself an understudy to his filming techniques. I’ve presented pre-viz cinematography techniques to Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks to name a few. As for sharing a set, I’ve directed music videos for artists including Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) and the band CAKE.

You mentioned that you were hired for you first gig right out of High School. Does that mean that you’re a student of the set? Or did you seek some formal education in tandem with your early work?

I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and focused my studies in Computer Animation and Film. The college was great at tearing us down with critiques and pushing us harder and harder to produce better work. They encouraged us all to critique each other, and even our professors. I’ve brought that tradition with me nearly everywhere I’ve worked, though some places welcome it more than others. I critique myself harder than anyone else, and offer thoughts to my colleagues as well. Luckily, at Bungie we thrive on open critiques and learn a lot from each other in the process. Sure enough, our work gets better and better because of it.

You speak the truth. An artist who can’t handle criticism won’t last long at Bungie. How did you convince us to submit you to the most dreaded critique of all: the Bungie interview loop?

After finishing the film I was shooting in Vancouver, some friends here at Bungie heard I was looking for my next gig and invited me down to meet some people. Although I had some inside influence, it wasn’t only up to them if I was going to fit the bill. I had to provide a cinematic test showing my shooting methods and my skills for animation. My interview alone lasted nearly 8 hours with over 10 people! I guess when they tallied the vote, I was offered the job.

That sounds about right. Each of us has had to go that distance. What was the hardest mile for you?

Avoiding the basket of FREE FOOD (Snickers, Twix, chocolate covered pretzels, Doritos, gum, etc.) on the interview table. I think it was another part of the overall interview – testing to see if I could resist pigging out during some question/answer time.

Love of snacks never hurt anyone’s chances of fitting in around here. Now that you’ve joined the crowd, what’s your favorite thing about the work you’re doing with us?

So far, (I’ve only been here a short stint), the coolest thing has been seeing our work pipe into the game engine and come to life in its full glory. When we lay out most of our work, we’re using a hodge-podge of grey-shaded and low-res textured models, low-res rigs, and temp lighting. When we’ve nailed a scene, we spit it out and watch it with the quality turned up to ELEVEN. It’s the result of many departments’ hard work in tools, design, and planning finally coming all together. It’s the pay-off we’re always excited to see and share.

Aside from the professional motivators, what’s something that Bungie does to keep you happy on a visceral personal level?

Currently, it’s our free-lunch program. For the first 6-months of any new hire’s employment, anyone can take them out to lunch on the house. And it’s not just free food that’s appealing, but it’s a great opportunity to meet people you normally wouldn’t ever meet in the studio because your departments don’t interact. It takes the “stranger” effect out of the equation and makes the studio much more an overall team than just a crowd of unknown faces. I’ve been eating a lot of free food lately with some amazingly talented people.

I’ll be sure to exploit you for a free meal before you expire, much as I’m exploiting you right now to the delight of our community. All of this exploitation must be somehow worthwhile, since you keep coming in to work every day. Can you describe for us your finest moment since you joined the team?

On my first day, I was invited to flesh out our camera and lens kits to provide us with a look that was worthy of a big-budget feature. My task was to help our team design shots and tell our stories within the cinematic style they were looking for. To test it out, I reshot one of our cinematics to demonstrate where we could improve upon our pacing and look. It took some great trust from our 3D story lead to drop that in my lap on day one, and the team has complimented the cameras and lens kit several times since. I believe we’re pushing some great drama, tension, and action within the frame of our compositions.

It sounds like you are a man who is squarely on his game. Do you think Bungie will be a place where you can improve your skills as a creator of dramatic imagery? How will you go about enhancing your mastery of the cinematic arts?

I continue to shoot at home, when I can. I continue to challenge myself at work, learning and doing new things. I play games about 1% of the time the average employee here plays. I’ve started playing the Halo series at home from the very beginning, for the first time. Sure, I feel like I’m gonna puke after 10 minutes (I’m one of the few fortunate souls struck with motion sickness from video games), but I’m fighting through, building up my thumb-eye coordination, if anything else.

Awww, I love noobs. It’s fun experiencing everything in games all over again - so many simplicities to remind us of what we forget to enjoy. What would you tell the gaming veterans who are reading these words? If they wanted to follow your path, what should they know?

The best advice I could best give is to explore all aspects of the creative mind. Art, cinema, theater, light, acting, reading, conversing, music, philosophy, espresso, etc. If there’s no reason behind the action of a game, no story to bind it all together, and nothing pretty to look at while doing so… you’re just at home on a couch, staring at a blank canvas. We’re all here because we love making that blank canvas come to life and sharing it with others.

It certainly sounds like we’re lucky to have you. Before I return you to the set, please sort these ingredients based on their importance to you role: Talent, Work Ethic, and Experience. Feel free to couch your answer in a delicious metaphor if it makes things easier to explain.

Experience, Work Ethic, Talent. If I were a cake-baker, I imagine it would go something like this:

I have a lot of Experience baking cakes. I still knock it out of the park most of the time, but occasionally I try something new and learn from it, good or bad. The next time, I bake it right, or even better than before. Work Ethic comes to play in the fact that I LOVE baking cake and I enjoy doing it for 8 hours a day, sometimes even more. And when I’m not baking a cake, I’m THINKING about baking a cake. Talent is why you love my cakes. I’ve got a knack for what makes them good, and it’s usually a result of my experience and work ethic combined.

And with that, we release a very valuable cook back to our kitchen. Matthew may have traveled some unexpected routes to the land of game development, but his story proves that you never know what skills will become crucial in this ever-changing environment. Our Breaking In archive is shaping up to be a museum where all of those skills are on display. If you don’t fancy yourself a filmmaker, you may yet find an exhibit that speaks to you.

Mail Sack of Plenty

May your cup runneth over...

This week, the Mail Sack overfloweth with Bungie Love. If you’re no stranger to this weekly orgy of crowd-sourced inquisition, you’re probably anticipating a roster for the Bungie Panel that squared up to answer some questions. On this occasion, they’re too numerous to list, lest this opening beat start to resemble the closing credits for a game. To discover the identities of the developers who were in a sharing mood when your curiosities were revealed, you must delve into the questions, much as they did.

Let’s open the Sack.

TheSpiderChief Do you, DeeJ, actually look through all the pages of questions we give you or do you just go through the first few due to precious time?

My promise to you is that I read every single question that you commit to our virtual mail room. It’s a great way to read your minds. This labor of love results in an internal monologue that sounds something like: “Can’t answer that without getting fired… Can’t answer that without getting in trouble at home… Won’t answer that on general principle… Can’t even think about how I’m supposed to answer that... Oh, look at this one!” (cut and paste)

chubbz What are Bungie's favorite superheroes?

David Candland, Artist

Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Mark Flieg, Artist

Joseph Fernandes, Production Engineer

Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Rick Lico, Art Lead

Travis Pijut, Test Engineer

Joshua Rubin, Writer

John Stvan

UphillMercury What is the main motivational factor that makes you want to go into work every day?

I really like our bathrooms. We play loud music in the bathrooms which helps cover up the bodily functions. I think this should be a rule for all bathrooms.
Alan Stuart, Engineer

I like the big room that we all share – except for the Audio recluses.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Hmm, it's hard to choose... does an alcove with a fireplace and hammock-seats count?
Austin Spafford, Engineer

The Bungie Thunderdome, yet for some reason the Rock Wall gets all the attention.
Joseph Fernandes, Production Engineer

Spandex Palace, of course.
Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

The Theater, glorious AV nerd toy that it is.
Steve Lopez, IT Overlord

Marty’s office.
Pat Jandro, Cinematic Designer

MURDUR 587 What is love?

Love is evil spelled backwards. And misspelled.
Robert Kehoe, Tester

Rachel Swavely, Motion Capture Tech

Mark Flieg, Artist

Love is the integral of the intensity of the romantic feeling over time. I learned this in a lecture called ‘The Mathematics of Love’ in a high school summer program (true story!). Yet another way we can use calculus in life!
Tom Sanocki, Staff Artist

Speed.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Blindfolded hatred.
Alexis Haraux, Engineer

A wife and son who both outlast me in a weekend Borderlands 2 marathon.
Rick Lico, Art Lead

I bet someone in the studio is going to respond with that Haddaway song…
Pat Jandro, Cinematic Designer

Yeah. You think?

XoG Suppressor What is the best prank you've ever played on someone? Don't hold back.

I once Photoshopped my boss’ face onto a picture of Conan the Barbarian and had it printed as a 5’ wall poster.
Joseph Fernandes, Production Engineer

Since you didn’t specify office prank. Back in high-school when there was construction going on, I told a friend that our buddy was using the port-o-potty and had left the door unlocked. I convinced him it would be hilarious if he were to go and open the door of said potty in-front of the entire school. (This was a military school so almost the entire school was out for formation and could see the port-o-john.) Not only did my friend open the door with a huge grin on his face, but he yelled as loud as he could. Our buddy was not in there but instead a construction worker in the middle of pulling up his pants. My friend, cheeks beat read, ran back to his room to the sound of 200+ teenagers laughing at him. By lunch time an orange net fence was blocking off the traveling crapper.
Robert Kehoe, Tester

I like to scream really loudly in the elevator while simultaneously pushing the alarm button. My kids asked me to scare their friends. Hilarious.
Alan Stuart, Engineer

My boss at a previous job was pregnant and starting to show. She'd told a couple of people (including me), but not everyone. A co-worker confided in me that she thought our boss might be pregnant. I said I wasn't sure. The next day, I told my co-worker that our boss wasn't pregnant, but that she'd heard people talking about her weight, got pissed off, and was now trying to find out who started the rumor. I told her I covered for her, but to watch out...
Mark Yocom, Release Engineer

Googlz What is the most irritating part of map design?

Map designers.
Alexis Haraux, Engineer

For a tester, finding that the designer has blocked off my favorite shortcut/exploit with invisible physics. For the designer, hopefully it’s the bugs that show where he/she thought they wouldn’t need invisible physics.
Robert Kehoe, Tester

Derek Carroll, Designer

Im SteelAssassn The Marty Army was promised a Humpday way back when. Gonna pay up?

Oh no you don’t. I delivered on that ancient debt. Well, it wasn’t a Humpday Challenge (those are so old-fashioned) but Marty showed up and played some games with his Army. Maybe I can lure him onto the battlefield again in another ten years. Stay tuned.

coolmike699 What's the strangest way you've ever been injured?

Slicing zucchini with a machete.
Steve Lopez, IT Overlord

Swinging from a flimsy tree branch and splitting the skin on my forearm wide open.
Joseph Fernandes, Production Engineer

My brother sat on me.
Robert Kehoe, Tester

I can’t believe I’m going to admit this to a large audience. When I was four, I cracked my head open by falling onto the corner of a table. This occurred because I was dancing to the music of Fraggle Rock at the time. I still carry the scar on my forehead!
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

It was first or second grade. I was very excited to be first in line. I didn’t want anyone to get ahead of me, so I stretched out my arms to the doorframe. Then someone slammed the door behind me – yup, that was my pinky finger stuck in the hinge. I pulled it out and ran to the nurse’s office. Ended up losing the pinky nail that afternoon and wore a thick wrapping around it for weeks. My mom still made me practice the piano, and that was the worst part of the whole experience.
Tom Sanocki, Staff Artist

In middle school, a girl I had a crush on tickled me while I was hanging upside down from the monkey bars. I fell and chipped my front tooth, but I had to act cool about it. I still have a chip in my front tooth.
Alan Stuart, Engineer

The Statue of Limitations doesn’t allow me to discuss this in 43 states, and Puerto Rico.
Nate Hawbaker, Technical Artist

Getting hit by the tail of a friend's overly enthusiastic Great Dane. Those things hurt!
Austin Spafford, Engineer

I split my forehead on my parent’s coffee table at 3 years old playing He-Man on the couch. By the power of Greyskull, indeed.
Mark Flieg, Artist

Being a stupid teenager. We were goofing off and I jumped off the hood of a moving car going about 25mph. Busted my nose and bit through my tongue.
David Candland, Artist

In the eighth grade, I punched a bus seat in an attempt to kill a bee and ended up breaking my left pinky in the process. Bonus #1: I'm not even left handed, so it's not my strongest punching hand in the first place. Bonus #2: I missed the bee.
Mark Yocom, Release Engineer

Tried to push a sewing needle into a chair leg by dropping the chair on it, the needle shattered and went through my finger. Don’t ask why I tried that. I was six.
Alexis Haraux, Engineer

In a mocap session prototyping our new IP. I was doing a backwards turn into a run, and craned my ankle on a pillar in our old mocap studio. Which proves that parents do not, in fact, have eyes in the back of their heads.
Rick Lico, Art Lead

Please wait How often does the studio have meetings where the entire studio meets together?

About once a month, if our schedule allows for everyone to share a special moment. Team Meetings are a great way to end a week. Fanfare rings out across the studio floor to call us to arms. The door to the beer fridge swings wide. A mountain of snacks is heaped upon the kitchen island. Rows of chairs invite us to sit and watch as our peers show off their latest and greatest additions to the tapestry we are weaving, with people perched on the grand staircase and every overlooking balcony.

Helveck Is there an Office Motivator? You know, like a Richard Simmons, or an ED-209? Someone that is always saying the right things to help push people to the limits of their talents and beyond?

The biggest office motivator is the game itself right now. It has a life of its own and ultimately reminds us that it’s worth all the effort.
Jonty Barnes, Production Director

You mean besides Richard Simmons who roams our workspace on an Ed-209?
Robert Kehoe, Tester

WestCoastRonin Are you allowed to bring guests into the studio like spouses, kids, etc.?

The answer is “Yes!” But for the last time, Ronin, I will not marry or adopt you.

defnop552 What's your favorite Pixar film?

Who better to answer this question than someone who worked on some of them? I give you Bungie Staff Artist Tom Sanocki:

Choosing just one favorite Pixar film? Oh, cruel, cruel world! Have you no pity, forcing us to choose between our dear, precious children?

Cars was one of my favorites to work on because we had such a great Characters team – a team fun-loving enough to build a themed bar ("The Rhino Lounge") in our corner of the office. Rigging Mater was a particular challenge for me, since it blended some hard technical challenges with tricky aesthetic ones. Paul Aichele, one of Pixar's top riggers, stayed late with me one night during a hard time in production to figure out how to get his smile just right. That film was filled with moments like that.

Up is one of my favorites because Pete Docter is one of my favorite people to work with. I can't think of anyone else who could pull off a movie as crazy as Up. It was also the hardest Pixar film for me. The concept art for Kevin the bird came in really late, forcing me to squeeze twelve months of work into three. That was wild and brutal, but sometimes the hardest times are good too - especially when you're doing your small part to build a gem like Up.

And Finding Nemo holds a special place in my heart – not only because it's a wonderful film, but because it was my first film. There's nothing in the world like seeing your first film up on the big screen for the first time, seeing your first character appear, and thinking: "Wow, was that really good enough to go up there?"

But who could leave out Incredibles? Brave? Ratatouille -- where we spent several weeks stressing about subtle creases between rat legs, and then rebuilding them all from scratch? Toy Story 2 -- a film about the choice between death and immortality? Or Toy Story 3 -- also about death?

Do I really have to choose, DeeJ? Did we misunderstand the question? Aha – that must be it!

Hylebos If I wanted to create a fictitious world, where would be a good place to start?

In your mind.

Garland When can you reveal the release date for Bungie.next?

Soon™.

Elite Predator How do you deal with being away from friends and family for a while when being dedicated to the title being worked on at the moment?

Skype.

Remorazz Which position do you think gets it the easiest out of all of you?

Assistant to the Community Manager.

Gamer Whale What are you not working on?

Halo 4. Pass it on.

YodasCurd What would you say if I told you, that the fate of the world lies in a code hidden in this sentence?

It will take more than a superfluous comma to save the world.

Mythical Wolf That's all folks! See you on Monday for another Mail Sack.

Hey. That’s my job. And this is my desk. Who the hell let you in here anyway?

Thank you for your questions. We do appreciate the chance to talk about something while lovingly toil to create something that we won’t talk about yet. You may ask yourself: How can I get in on this? The answer to that question is discovered in our Community Forum every Monday.